Perplexities of Growing Up
by Chibi06
Summary: Elrond's daughter and Thranduil's son meet for the first time. One is mature, the other is rebellious, obnoxious & struggling to find her place. What will happen when Elrond asks Legolas to be her babysitter? LegolasOC - not Arwen. PLEASE REVIEW LAST CH!
1. their first meeting

Perplexities of Growing Up

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the places or characters used here except for Náriël-I did invent her, and if she resembles anyone else's character in anyway, im sorry- not done on purpose. Everything else belongs to Tolkien.

**Author's Note:**

In this story, although Náriël is a over a thousand years old and Legolas is a thousand something, maturity wise, and I suppose you could say in "human years" Náriël would be 14 and Legolas would be 17 (this is b/c I see it that since elves are immortal, but they still have to go from baby to adult then for every century or so that an elf lives, it would be like a human aging one yr…get it?). Also, Náriël is Elrond's daughter and Arwen and her brothers don't exist. lol. Ok, last thing, this is my first fanfic, so criticism is welcome, but be nice! .;;

note: ' ..' is thoughts and "…" is talking

Chapter 1

* * *

_POV: Náriël_

I was running through the forest so fast that the trees were a blur, of course that could have something to do with the tears streaming down my face…they continued to flow rapidly as I fled for my life. I was tired and hurt and there was a steady stream of blood trickling down my legs as my dress was torn and the branches whipped against me.

Looking back, I could still see the Warg, and he was gaining on me. I was in such a panic and I couldn't see where I was going. With my next step, I found myself swiftly tumbling down a thorny hill. I collided with rocks, branches, and some oddly red-tipped thorns. As I continued to plummet I heard a distinct pop, and I knew I had dislocated my ankle.

I felt myself slow, and at that moment, my head came in contact with a rock. My head pounded and out of the corner of my eye, I saw some red flowing down my face. Pretty soon, my vision began to dim and all I could see were spots. I shut my eyes in hopes of making the spinning stop.

I laid there for what seemed like an eternity, although it was probably only a few hours. Seeing as I was in immense pain and it was already far into the night, I curled up on the spot and attempted to let sweet sleep engulf me.I openedmy eyes to the soft sound of birds chirping, the warm rays of the sun, and the most pain I had ever felt in my entire life. The events of the previous night came flooding back to me as I looked up at the steep hill from which I had fallen 'it must have been too much for the Warg' I thought 'thank the Valar.'

As I sat there in the quiet of the woods, I heard the faint sound of rushing water. Carefully, I stood up and hobbled towards the stream. I gazed at my reflection. My long brown hair had come out of its braids and was now tangled and covered in dirt-the natural red flakes covered up by the grime. I sighed as I reached over the bank and began to clean up.

'I won't go back. Not yet, I should let him worry a bit. Prove my point… I wonder if ada has even noticed…' These thoughts flitted through my head as I splashed the cool water on my face.

I froze.

'I know I heard something, someone is watching me…I can feel it' I thought.

I quickly scanned the area and came in contact with a pair of stunningly blue eyes.

They belonged to another elf, a quite gorgeous elf at that. He had taken off his tunic and revealed a nicely toned stomach and well muscled body in general. His golden hair was braided back simply, but elegantly, and fell just a few inches below his shoulders, slightly shorter than mine.

But his eyes…there was something in them, something I could not read. It was as if he had taken a curtain and closed it so that no one could look into his soul. Although his face showed the slightest hint of surprise, it was hardly noticeable and his eyes remained completely stoic and unreadable.

All of a sudden, a thought hit me. 'What if he's from the Guard of Imladris? What if he's one of the soldiers sent by my father to look for me? How do I even know my father sent someone? Of course he did, he had to have noticed by now…3 days, he had to have noticed…but no, I'm not going to let him win, not yet. When I come back, it will of my own accord, not because I was finally found and caught.'

With that last thought, I stood up and sprinted away-or rather, hobbled, for my sprained ankle would allow me nothing else. I heard a sharp whistle and then the sound of hooves…

'Not again!'

_POV: Legolas_

I was about a day's ride away from Imladris, if I took my time that is.

'Finally.' I thought to myself.

I was tired and eager for the long journey from Mirkwood to be finally over. In my impatience I had ridden almost through the entire night, hoping to be able to reach Rivendell before sunset today. I loved visiting Rivendell. It was quite beautiful and peaceful and Lord Elrond was like a second father to me. He and my father had always been close, almost brothers.

Unfortunately, their kids were not the same. For all the centuries I'd known Lord Elrond and the many times I'd been to Rivendell, I have never met his daughter before-she always seemed to avoid me.

No matter. I'm going to enjoy my two week's break from duty in the quiets of Imladris; although, technically, I'm going for business reasons, the work should take no more than three days time, the rest, I'm going to enjoy relaxing. I yawned and stretched under the lazy morning sun, jumping off of my horse to head over to a nearby stream. I needed to refresh myself before I continued on.

On my way over to the river, I removed my tunic, thinking I would be able to enjoy a nice cool bath to escape the summer heat.

Oh how wrong I was.

As I knelt by the stream, a movement caught my attention. It was a young maiden, probably only a few centuries younger than I. I was horrified upon seeing the state that she was in: she was covered in dirt mixed with blood from scratches; her dress was torn as if it was attacked by a rabid cat; her hair tangled and sprinkled with dirt and mud.

I watched her for a few moments as she attempted to clean up.

All of a sudden, she jerked her head up and began scanning the area.

'It seems she's noticed my presence.'

We locked eyes for a few moments and I quickly attempted to mask my feelings. I happened to be very closed off and guarded when around others and many times rather enjoyed solitude. I did not allow people to read me easily, nor did I often permit others to get too close.

I noticed her wandering glance…her eyes roamed all over my body. It took a bit of will power to keep myself from blushing and to keep my stoic expression in tact. Then, with out warning, she jumped up and attempted to run away, which failed miserably seeing as she probably had a broken or sprained ankle. Her limping like that looked kind of pitiful and I had a sudden urge to help the elleth. With that, I called for my horse, and rode off in pursuit.

_POV: author_

Náriël didn't get very far, only several feet and her ankle gave in, sending her crashing to the ground. Rolling over onto her back she let out a deep sigh and gazed at the towering trees above her. She suddenly started feeling very ill and spots began dancing before her eyes. The trees spun and began to slowly fade…

No sooner had Legolas gotten on his horse did he have to dismount. He noticed the young elf maiden sprawled on the earth and rushed over to her.

She had already slipped into unconsciousness.

This did provide an opportunity though for Legolas to better examine the girl before him.

'Heh, it's already obvious that she will grow up to be quite a beautiful maiden…' His eyes scanned her body, taking in her injuries.

He now noticed that some of her wounds were more serious than he thought. She was bleeding on the side and it seemed like her upper left thigh, for there was blood seeping in through the rags of her probably once beautiful elfin gown; besides that, she had hit her head on something for he could now see that her hair was not only caked with mud, but dried blood.

Legolas bent down and gracefully scooped her up into his arms, returning to his previous spot on the river bank. He retrieved medical supplies from his satchel and as he laid them down, he began cleaning her wounds. His talented hands moved quickly and in no time he had cleaned and dressed all wounds but two: the one on her side and thigh.

'Now this presents a problem…'

Being the proud and dignified prince of Mirkwood, Legolas could not bring himself to remove the elleth's dress in order to take care of the last two injuries.

'There's not much left of her dress, but still! I cannot just take it off! What if she wakes up? I would have removed her gown and it would seem as if I was groping her thigh…the fact that I can't seem to find my tunic and am therefore half naked myself sure would help the situation.' He thought with bitter sarcasm.

He let out an exasperated sigh and tilted his head towards the heavens.

"As if I did not have enough to deal with! All I want to do is finally reach Rivendell!!" He was so frustrated and tired that he couldn't help but voice himself aloud.

At that moment Legolas picked up a soft sound with his sensitive ears. Glancing down, he saw the girl's eyes slowly flutter open and refocus. It was at this moment that Legolas noticed the little charm hanging from a delicate silver chain on her neck. It was a silver elvish design with a beautiful opal in the middle-the symbol of Rivendell's nobility.

Realization suddenly hit him straight in the face. It was like being smacked good and hard…this was Elrond's daughter…the one he had never met.

'Oh boy, this sure is going to be interesting…'

* * *

**A/N:**

So? What do you think so far? Good? Bad? Please review so I know if I should go on with the fic or if I'd just be wasting my time!

The next chapter will be up when ever I have time to get it done…that is if you all WANT another chapter, but hopefully I'll get into a pattern and update weekly or something like that. Although the genre is romance/action/adventure, there will be some angst later on…

Oh and one last thing, I know this was kinda a short chappie but I wanted to end on a semi-cliffhanger so…yeah…


	2. a proper young lady? i beg to differ

Perplexities of Growing Up

**Disclaimer**: I do not own any of the places or characters used here except for Náriël-I did invent her, and if she resembles anyone else's character in anyway, im sorry- not done on purpose. Everything else belongs to Tolkien.

**A/N:** Yay! I got reviews! I'm so glad you guys liked it! That makes me very happy : ) Anyway, just wanted to let you all know, now on to the story.

* * *

Chapter 2

_POV: Náriël  
_  
I never knew that opening ones eyes could be such hard work. As I struggled to do so, I felt my head pounding and pain shooting up throughout my entire body.

'What the hell happened?!'

I wanted to scream out, but couldn't even find my voice.

When I finally managed to open my eyes, they were greeted with a fairly pleasant sight...FAIRLY pleasant...regardless of just how good he looked, he was still my enemy at the moment.

I wasn't going back with out a fight! I just couldn't...but this elf...I don't think I have ever seen him in the guard before...I wonder who he is...

_POV: Legolas  
_  
I noticed the young elleth struggling to open her eyes, and once she managed to do so, clear confusion was written all over her face.

'I wonder just how hard she had hit her head...'

My thoughts trailed off as my sensitive ears picked up a small whimper that emanated from the girl.

I was curious to know who what in the world had happened to her; what could have prompted her to be in the woods all by herself?

Being the inquisitive elf that I am, I decided to voice these curiosities allowed. However, until I knew more about the situation, I couldn't let her know that I knew who she was.

"What is your name my lady? And where do you hail from?" I sternly demanded.

In response, she only blinked a few times and stared up at me inquiringly.

'What the hell?! Does she not remember how to speak? Does she not understand me? Maybe she did hit her head pretty hard after all...' Author's POV:

Náriël looked up at Legolas as she struggled to decide whether to tell him who she was or not.

She decided upon the later. Instead, she thought she'd interrogate him...

Still feeling slightly woozy, she took a deep breath, and with a shaky voice, she spoke aloud.

"Who are you...my lord?"

Legolas knitted his eyebrows in frustration.

'And here I thought I was the one asking the questions!'

"Legolas, but you have yet to tell me who you are."

'Legolas? Now why does that name sound so familiar? I'm sure I have heard it before...' she thought.

"My name is Náriël and I hail from Rivendell."

"Well then, I suppose that's quite lucky for you, seeing as how I'm headed there myself." Just for formality, he added, "I would be happy to escort you back."

"NO!! I mean, I...uhhh...I...I'm going to Mirkwood right now...so I won't be needing a ride to Rivendell"

It was so obvious to Legolas that she was lying through her teeth. He smirked.

"Well then were is your escort? I find it highly unlikely that the Lord would allow a child such as yourself to travel on her own, and such a long distance as well."

He could sense the anger building up in the girl. She was clearly fighting from just lashing out at him. For some odd reason, he found this very amusing.

Turning away from Legolas, Náriël gave a loud, unlady-like snort.

"I don't need an escort. And I most certainly don't need the Lord's permission to go."

The contempt her tone of voice held was chilling.

Legolas sighed. For now he'd let this go. There were more pressing matters at hand.

Her wounds were still bleeding, and she hadn't even thanked him for helping her.

"My lady," he began, "It would seem that you still have some open wounds. Let me at least assist you there."

She looked down and for the first time, noticed the blood trickling down her leg. She also noticed where her injuries were and felt her face grow hot as she pictured Legolas touching her there.

She was glad at that moment that her back was to him.

Trying to hide her embarrassment she answered, "You can't be serious?! Have some decency!! There is no way I will allow you to do that."

Legolas rolled his eyes.

"Fine. Then just take these and go clean up yourself."

He walked over to his horse and took out some bandages and a wash cloth, handing them to the still slightly pink girl before him.

Náriël grabbed the offering and stomped to the river.

Legolas almost laughed aloud at the sight of her. For no matter how hard she tried to stomp, it just wouldn't work with her injured foot. So the scene before him was rather comical.

Suddenly, she spun around and looked at Legolas before practically shouting at him.

"Well?! Turn around will you?!"

"Hn!" he snorted back in response, then turned his back on the river.

'That girl sure is feisty, no wonder she's named Náriël' he thought.

About 15 minutes later, Náriël came back up from the river and seated herself beneath a giant Magnolia tree.

She was tired, hungry and upset. But she'd never admit it. No, she was too proud and stubborn to do that.

Noticing that she had returned Legolas quietly came up and sat down beside her.

'Well, I suppose this is a good a time as any to find out what's really going on.'

With that thought, Legolas turned to Náriël.

"So what are you REALLY doing out here by yourself? And what happened to you? You're hurt pretty badly."

She sighed and looked back at him.

"I got chased by a Warg. I wasn't watching where I was going, and fell down a cliff full of thorns. Hence my appearance and injuries."

"I see, but you've failed to answer my first question my lady."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I don't remember what it was." She looked up at him innocently.

'I'm sure she doesn't.'

"I had asked you why you were actually out here by yourself in the first place."

"Oh, that."

"Yes THAT."

He was quickly loosing his patience. She was obviously playing dumb, and it annoyed him to no end.

"I have my reasons," she answered cryptically.

"Well fine then. But regardless of whether you're going to tell me or not, I'm taking you back to Rivendell. I simply can't just leave you here."

"Sure you can. It's easy. Just climb on your horse, and gallop away –without me."

Legolas stared at her. Her mockery was not appreciated. By this time he had had enough.

_POV: Náriël  
_  
Legolas sneered at me. Then, he stood up and walked over to his horse. He packed up the medical supplies and just when I thought he was about to get on and leave me be, he turned to face me.

I was several yards away from and the look that he had on his face was slightly unnerving, despite the distance.

He stood up straight and squared his shoulders. Then, with quick, fluid and confident steps, he walked up to me. By this time I had scrambled to my feet, ready to run –or hobble rather –away from him.

But for some reason, I couldn't move. My feet seemed glued to the ground and I couldn't tear my eyes away from his.

His deep blue orbs were enchanting; I didn't even blink.

He was so close to me and I could smell the foresty scent of the woods mixed with a subtle hint of flowers coming from his body.

I could hardly breathe.

That is until he swiftly knelt down and picked me up bridal style.

With that, he carried me to his horse. Quickly realizing what was going on, I began to thrash about in retaliation.

'How dare he?! Who the hell does he think he is that he can just tell me to do something and I must obey, and if not, he'll make me do it anyway?! I mean really, does he think he's the prince of Mirkwood or something?!'

"Let me go you bastard!!!"

I began to scream profanities at him, not caring whether I kept up the polite lady-like appearance anymore or not.

He seemed slightly startled at the obscene words flying out of my mouth and quickly stopped in his tracks.

_POV: Legolas_

'Did I just here her correctly? Did she just call me a bastard?! So much for that proper young lady' I thought sourly.

Sighing, I stopped and looked her in the eye. "Well maybe if you gave me a good reason as to why I shouldn't take you back to Rivendell, I won't."

She looked back up at me with a fire in her eyes.

"Fine."

Good, so I might finally find out what's going on. She better not lie to me...after all those years of being a warrior and having to interrogate creatures, I could spot a lie when I heard one.

I set Náriël down on her feet and she immediately plopped down to the ground.

I sat facing her and waited for her to begin her story...

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**A/N:** Well that's it for now, ill start the next chapter when ever I feel like writing...but don't worry, I wont take too long. lol. Anyway, don't forget to review this story please! And id like to thank all those ppl that reviewed my last chapter! One more thing, im sorry if the change in POV is a bit confusing, but is being really stupid and wont let me put in the little star things to make things less confusing. its REALLY annoying and i only noticed now, so sorry if that was kinda odd for the last chapter too.

Náriël = passion in Elvish.

**Thunderlover**: yay! You're my first reviewer EVER! Doesn't that make you feel special?

**White Roses for me?:** ok...what's a mary sue? I mean, ive heard that term used before, but I have no idea what it means ..;; Also, I do believe I mentioned that she was running away from a Warg. If not, I meant to...but I think I did...and id be happy to look over your story : )

**Myri78**: I put babysitting in quotes for a reason ; )

**Nash, lildoe, and F.A. Star Hawk**: thank you!


	3. HE'S the prince!

Perplexities of Growing Up  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the places or characters used here except for Náriël-I did invent her, and if she resembles anyone else's character in anyway, im sorry- not done on purpose. Everything else belongs to Tolkien.  
  
Chapter 3

_POV: Náriël  
_  
With a deep and exasperated sigh, I finally began telling him of my woes. I knew I was going to sound pathetic and like a baby, but maybe, by some miracle, this elf would understand and leave me be.  
  
"Well, I....I am the daughter or Lord Elrond..."  
  
I saw Legolas give me a curt nod to show he was listening.  
  
"I feel so suffocated. My father doesn't understand me, he treats me like a child and won't let me do anything. I sometimes think he hardly even notices that I'm even there, ever since my mother died that is...I was so little, I don't even remember her, yet I still miss her...you probably don't know what I'm talking about, do you?"  
  
I expected him to shakes his head in the negative, but instead he responded quite differently.  
  
"Actually, I know exactly what you're talking about. My mother passed away when I was a child as well."  
  
"Oh, I see." I was slightly taken aback by that, I hadn't expected it.  
  
"So anyway..." he prompted me to continue.  
  
"So anyway, I decided to teach him a lesson. But truth be told, I don't think he even notices that I'm missing... although I have been gone for almost two days now." I know I was begin cross with him, but I was angry, I couldn't help it.  
  
"It seems that the only time he notices me is when I get in trouble or do something he doesn't like! Humph."  
  
"Well why didn't you try talking to him instead of childishly running away?"  
  
'I can't believe he just said that to me. I should have known better than to tell him.'  
  
"Have you not been listening to me?! You men are all the same!!! None of you ever listen to a word I say, and if I tried to talk to him about it, he'd do the same thing you just did."  
  
"I heard every word...I'm just saying..."  
  
"Forget it," I interrupted him, "You know, sometimes I think that he'd rather have Thranduil's son instead of me..."  
  
_POV: Legolas  
_  
What Náriël said after her rant surprised me a great deal.  
  
"You know, sometimes I think that he'd rather have Thranduil's son instead of me..."  
  
I looked at her with shock clearly written all over my face, and I knitted my eyebrows in confusion. She could probably see this and went on with her story to explain herself.  
  
"Ok, well you probably know that Thranduil is the king of Mirkwood, and he has a son several centuries older than me...well I've never met him, but my father always talks about him...he says all these great things about him and is always giving out praise. It angers me because it really seems that he'd rather have this elf as a son than me as a daughter."  
  
She angrily spat out the last part. I swallowed hard and tried my best not to seem suspicious, but somehow, I think I failed.  
  
"So...so do you know the name of this elf?" I asked her.  
  
She shook her head in the negative and then said, "I can't believe I've forgotten it. I hear it so many times a day...It's on the tip of my tongue. Oh well, it doesn't matter...I hate the stupid bastard."  
  
I sighed a deep sigh of relief, and decided to ignore that last comment.  
  
"I see..."  
  
_POV: Náriël  
_  
I glanced over at Legolas, but he was suddenly reluctant to meet my gaze... 'Something is going on. I can tell that he's hiding something from me. I'm not sure what it is, but I'll figure it out eventually. It's funny, although he's acting weird, his eyes still remain a mystery to me...'  
  
The sun had begun to fade and set behind the towering trees. A light breeze was picking up and I shivered from its touch.  
  
All of a sudden, a felt something warm being wrapped around my shoulders. Looking up, I saw that Legolas had removed his cloak from atop the horse and gently draped me with it.  
  
My eyes followed his retreating back as he searched the ground for his lost tunic. Finally finding it, he put it on, to my dismay.  
  
Without saying a word, he quietly made his way back to the horse and took out some lembas. As he sat down beside me, he handed me a piece.  
  
"Thank you"  
  
He nodded in acknowledgement.  
  
"I'm sorry," I said.  
  
"For what?"  
  
'So he finally speaks?'  
  
"For my delaying you. You said you were headed for Imladris, and I'm sure you would have been there by now if it hadn't been for me..." I trailed off.  
  
"Yes well, it doesn't matter now anyway, I shall spend the night here with you, if you don't mind, and set out at first light. I do expect to take you with me, for it is evident you have some issues to work out with your father and running away is not the answer."  
  
He stared into my eyes with a hard and somewhat distant gaze.  
  
What was I to do now? I couldn't run away while he was sleeping because he's obviously a warrior elf, so the slightest movement and he'd be up.  
  
I let out a small sigh and nodded my head in agreement.  
  
'I suppose I have no other choice. It doesn't matter anyway because I don't know what point I would have proven if he hadn't even noticed I was gone in the first place.'  
  
"Good." I heard him state.  
  
Finishing my lembas, I settled down on the ground to sleep, still wrapped up in his warm and comforting cloak. Meanwhile, he grabbed his quiver and bow and jumped up into the branches of the old Magnolia, sitting himself on one of the large branches above me.  
  
The next morning came quickly, and I found myself being gently nudged. Waking up, I opened my eyes to see those brilliantly blue eyes of Legolas looking down at me. He smiled warmly and my insides felt squirmy.  
  
'Why is it that he has this effect on me?'  
  
"Come, we must be setting off." I heard his melodious voice say.  
  
Suddenly, I picked up the sound of hooves.  
  
Legolas, it seems, had heard the same, for he had this bow drawn taut with an arrow ready on the string, and pointed at the road from which the sound emanated.  
  
"There are about ten horsemen," he said to me.  
  
'How does he know that? From what I can tell, there are maybe three...'  
  
I shrugged and hid behind a tree so as not to be seen.  
  
Several moments later, I saw that he had been right. Ten beautiful white elvish horses came galloping through the brush, bearing ten Elven riders.  
  
Peaking out from the tree I saw that they were from Rivendell guard.  
  
'So he HAD noticed after all' I thought bitterly.  
  
The company stopped and the leader dismounted.  
  
He came up to Legolas, who had by now lowered his weapon.  
  
"Hail! Prince Legolas of Mirkwood!"  
  
I heard him exclaim this happily, and I felt my blood turn cold.  
  
'Prince Legolas...of MIRKWOOD?! It can't be! NO! No way!!! How could he...it was him all along, that's what he had been hiding!!'  
  
I felt like I was going to cry. I felt so betrayed... 'Maybe this rider was mistaken?'  
  
This hopeful thought quickly faded as I heard Legolas respond.  
  
"Aaye! Nae saian luume', Thorongil." "Aye, that it has my Lord!"  
  
'Thorongil, that is the captain of our army...'  
  
Legolas's voice interrupted my thoughts  
  
"What are you doing out here?"  
  
I heard Thorongil sigh.  
  
"Well, it would seem that Lord Elrond's young daughter has run off. She's been missing for two days now and we have been unable to find her."  
  
His voice sounded bitter. I wouldn't be surprised if he hated me. After all, he could be at home with his family now, but instead, he has search for me.  
  
"Oh I see, well your search is over then, for I have found her, and was planning on returning her to the Lord today."  
  
Legolas looked over to me. Right now, I hated him with a passion and suddenly, I really didn't want to go back peacefully. He had lied to me. That little bastard. No, that word is too good for him.  
  
I snorted in response to him and nimbly stepped our from behind the tree. Thorongil's face was set and his eyes were cold. He was very angry.  
  
"My lady," his voice was as cold as his eyes "Come with me, we must head back to your father, he has been very worried about you."  
  
I sneered at him.  
  
"I'm not going anywhere."  
  
I whipped my head around and stared at Legolas who narrowed his eyes at me.  
  
'Oh no, no that look again...'  
  
That look...it made my knees wobble and no matter the great urge to run, my feet would not move, once again.  
  
He swiftly walked over to me, anger radiating from every step.  
  
He was so close to me...we were just inches apart and he dipped his head down so that his mouth was by my ear, his hot breath tickling my sensitive spot.  
  
"You promised me last night that you would come back with me. And you will NOT break that promise to me, now will you?"  
  
His voice sounded gruff and it sent shivers down my spine. The only thing I could do was dumbly shake my head in the negative.  
  
"Good."  
  
His suddenly booming voice startled me out of my trance. Grabbing my hand, he pulled me to his horse. His grip was tight, yet gentle.  
  
I had no desire what so ever to get on that horse. Turning around I came face to face with the muscled chest of Legolas.  
  
'Damn it'  
  
"Do you need any help my Lady?" he questioned.  
  
Although on the surface, his question was proper and polite, I could hear the dangerous undertone just challenging me to be difficult.  
  
"No, I'm fine."  
  
I climbed on to his horse, and for the first time I noticed how different it was from the rest. Most Elvish horses were slivery/grey or white...a few were brown, but his horse...his horse was jet black. The dark coat shone majestically in the early morning sun seemed to almost give off a mystical aura. He was gorgeous.  
  
I suddenly felt a strong arm wrap around my middle, and I sensed myself blush. Grabbing the reins, Legolas commanded his horse forward to Rivendell.  
  
With a snort, he leapt forward and ran like the wind. It was the most exhilarating feeling I had ever had, not even my horse was this fast. Glancing back, I could see a few small specks that was most likely the company trying to keep up to the swift raven colored horse.  
  
I let my eyes wander...they fell on the chiseled face of Legolas.  
  
'I'm not going to let him get away with betraying me like that...he'll pay'  
  
As that thought flitted through my head, I managed to finally pull my eyes away from that unreadable, stoic expression on the handsome elf's face.  
  
**A/N**: Wow, I updated a lot faster than I thought I would...anyway, what do u guys think of it so far? You like where it's going, or cant really tell yet? Please review and give me your opinions, as I said before, criticism is welcome!  
  
**Aaye** = hail  
  
**Nae saian luume'** = it has been too long  
  
**Sarah**: thanks, I'm glad you like it. And I think that it's good that it's different b/c u don't wanna read the same basic plot line just different versions over and over, right?  
  
**Myri78**: yeah, they are sorta supposed to hate each other at first, but I mean, it's more like Legolas is very amused by Náriël and slightly annoyed sometimes, and Náriël just doesn't like him. LOL! But don't worry, they'll work things out eventually.  
  
**In The Deep End**: thank you, and yes I am going to keep writing it.  
  
**m4ever**: im glad you like it! 


	4. first date

Perplexities of Growing Up

**Disclaimer**: I do not own any of the places or characters used here except for Náriël-I did invent her, and if she resembles anyone else's character in anyway, im sorry- not done on purpose. Aniolad is also mine. Everything else belongs to Tolkien.

**A/N**: Aniolad is a century older than Náriël, so he's like 15, maturity wise (human wise I guess).

Chapter 4

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_POV: Legolas_

By the time we finally arrived in Rivendell, the sun was beginning to slowly set behind the tall Mellyrn trees. The entire ride, Náriël struggled to keep herself awake. Honestly, I had a hard time of staying awake myself!

The sun was warm, but there was a breeze from the speed of my horse. Surprisingly, the day was quite nice and not scorching hot like the day before. It all felt so nice, that combined with the lulling up and down of my horse, I would constantly feel my eyes begin to close.

Toward our approach to Rivendell, I felt Náriël relax into and looking down I noticed she had finally fallen asleep.

As the Last Homely House came into view, I slowed down my horse and hopped off with Náriël in my arms, still fast asleep.

I carried her up the stairs and upon entering I met the Lord Elrond.

"Legolas! Oh, than the Valar!! I was so worried about her. When I found out she was missing I didn't know what to do! She goes to bed one night, and she's gone the next morning. Was she kidnapped?! What happened?"

I had never seen the Lord so flustered and so eager to learn of something (he usually hides his emotions quite as I do and keeps up a fairly stoic expression). He honestly seemed very concerned.

"I'm not pleased to inform you of this, my Lord, but it would seem that she ran away. I found her quite injured. She had been chased by a Warg and fell down a thorny hill or something..."

I trailed off as the expression on his face turned from worry to disappointment to sorrow.

"My Lord..?"

"Huh?" It was as if I had startled him out of his reverie; he seemed a bit confused for a second there as to where he was.

"Are you alright?"

"Oh yes, quite fine. Follow me; you can put her down in her bed if you will."

I nodded.

I carried Náriël into her beautiful chamber and gently set her down on her king sized bed, covering her with her silver colored blankets. Then, I quietly walked out of the room and followed Elrond into his study.

We seated ourselves into his large and comfortable chairs and decided to get as much work done that night as possible. Seeing as I was to stay for about two weeks, I wanted to get the business out of the way so I could finally relax.

We ended up working until the night had grown rather old.

Finally, I think he noticed my rather loud yawing as he let out a small laugh. Getting up, he asked me to follow him, as he directed me to my room.

It was a few doors down from Náriël's.

The room was large and round, with part of the huge Mellyrn tree breaking through it on the side. My bed stood on the other side of the tree branch, and just like Náriël's, it was a four-post, king size bed; the posts were carved with extreme detail and everything was beautiful. It had deep red, wine colored blankets and large soft pillows.

It all looked so great that I felt like I was about to collapse. I had been on the road for a while and it felt like I hadn't slept in a real bed in for ever!

"You look very fatigued Legolas. I am sorry for keeping you up so late. I should have known better since this was your first day here. Please accept my apologies."

"Do not worry over it; I'm fine...just a bit tired."

I tried for a smile, but I could feel it was weak and pathetic.

Elrond just smiled back and turned to go, sending me a soft "good night" as he closed my door.

As soon as I pulled the soft velvety blankets up to my chin, and my head hit the soft feather pillows, I was completely out. That was the best night I had slept in a long time._POV: Náriël_

I awoke to find myself lying comfortably in my own bed. The silver blankets were wrapped around my tattered dress and the silvery-sheer curtains were drawn around my bed, like my own little fortress. That was one of my favorite things about my room. It made me feel so secure.

I yawned and stretched languidly. Throwing back my covers, I pulled back the curtain and stepped out of bed.

After taking a shower I was rummaging through my closet, trying to decide what dress to wear when one of my "ladies in waiting," as I liked to call them, came into my room with a hurry.

"My Lady!" she exclaimed.

Cyrith (for that was her name) seemed to be very happy about something.

'I wonder what could have happened...'

I looked at her and raised my eyebrows in a silent question.

She exhaled loudly and continued, "It would seem...that the Prince of Mirkwood, Prince Legolas, is had just arrived last night, and will be staying with us for two weeks!!"

I stared at her.

'As if I didn't know?'

Cyrith paused and I wasn't sure if she wanted me to say something, or if she had run out of breath from the excitement.

She finally decided to continue, "Well, the Lord wanted you to wear something nice...and so I thought I'd come up here to help you get ready! Oh isn't this exciting?! Legolas is so handsome..."

She trailed off and began to blush. I didn't even want to know what was going through her mind.

I turned back to my closet and continued to explore its depths.

I decided upon a dark forest green dress. It had a curved neckline that fell off the shoulders slightly. The sleeves glided down my arms to a small loop that went around my middle finger, and the edges were embroidered with black lace. The dress fell down to the floor, and I had to pick up the skirts to walk with out tripping. There was a second layer over the bottom half of the dress in a sheer darker green.

"Good?"

"Yes my lady."

When I was ready, I walked out of my room and down the elaborately carved wooden stair case. I made my way down the hall and into my father's study; he was talking to Legolas, it seemed. I stopped out side and listened. To my disappointment, it was all business.

I knocked on the door frame to let them know of my presence in the room. The two immediately turned and Legolas stood up.

'How proper," I thought wryly.

He gave me a small smile, and I gave him a weak one back. My father beamed at me and beckoned me to him.

I picked up my skirts and walked to him. He embraced me and whispered in my ear, "We will talk later."

His voice was flat, yet held a hint of anger in it, something only I could pick up on. I nodded my head and bowed it on my way out of the room.

Needless to say, the talk with my father was not a pleasant one; I got a serious reprimand for what happened. As usual, he did not listen to my reasons, he only scolded.

Towards the evening, I was taking a walk and saw my long time crush, Aniolad. He was about a century older than I, and absolutely to die for!

When he saw me, he came up and gave me a hug, saying that he was worried about me; I'm sure he saw me blush.

"So...would you mind if I joined you on your walk this evening?"

"N-no, of course I don't mind."

'Why is it that I can never seem to talk when I'm around him?'

By the end of our walk, we were holding hands, and Aniolad had asked me out.

Needless to say, I was ecstatic. This is what I had been waiting for. I had never had a boyfriend before...I hadn't even been kissed before! But this was my chance to change all of that.

I pranced into the house beaming.

The next day went by so slowly, as I was anticipating the evening's events; it would be my first date with Aniolad.

I made it a point to avoid my father, as well as Legolas. This was made quite easy for me though, considering that they were constantly locked away in my father's study.

I let out a nervous sigh as I examined myself in front of the mirror. I had decided upon a simple yet elegant silver dress and braided my hair, curling the part that was left down.

Scrutinizing myself, I fretted that I had overdone myself. But I had no time to do anything about it, for Aniolad had arrived.

I glided down the stairs. There he was.

I felt myself blush as he came up to me, yet I felt embarrassed because my father was standing right there.

'Why can't he just leave?'

I could tell right there and then that he did not like my choice, but I didn't care.

"You look beautiful." Aniolad said to me.

I smiled back for I couldn't seem to find my voice. Before my father could say anything, we rushed outside.

The evening went quite well, and to my surprise, he kissed me before I went inside. This was my first kiss, yet something seemed off...I mean, I thought you weren't supposed to kiss on a first date. I just shrugged it off and went home.

As I tiredly walked up the stairs, I ran into a very naked Legolas...

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**A/N**: Ok ok, I know that this chapter was a bit boring, nothing really interesting. But I needed this info for the plot to develop further. Aniolad still has an important part to play later on and I therefore needed to have all this stuff happen first. Anyway, I promise the next chapter will be better...please review!

**m4ever**: lol, im not really sure what she's going to do to Legolas yet, I don't know if it's going to be like a practical joke or w/e, but ill think of something!

**The Fresh Princess**: Thank you!

**Yami Ray**: I'm glad you like it, and believe me, there are a LOT of BIG fights coming up! Heh, I mean, you gotta have some drama you know?

**Tesariel Evenstar**: yay! Thank you!!

**Myri78**: I'm gonna try to update as often as I can. I have this thing right now where every chance I get I wanna write, I don't know how long that's going to last though. And don't worry about being impatient, b/c I know how that is, im an avid fanfic reader and I get very impatient when my fav fics aren't updated in forever lol!

**Sarah**: As I said to m4ever, I'm not really sure what she's gonna do. I don't want her to be completely immature about it, so she's prob not gonna play some practical joke...so im kinda stuck there...if you have any suggestions, theyre welcome!

**Silvermane1**: ummm...ok...


	5. Perfect Relationship

Perplexities of Growing Up

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the places or characters used here except for Náriël-I did invent her, and if she resembles anyone else's character in anyway, im sorry- not done on purpose. Everything else belongs to Tolkien.

**A/N:**

I'd just like to give a shout out to LazyMadHatter!!! Go read her Inuyasha fanfic called "Family Portrait: the Diary of a Lost Soul" it's really good! Also, thanks to all of my reviewers! Luv you guys!

Chapter 5

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_POV: Náriël_

'Oh…my…gosh!!!'

I couldn't help but stare. My eyes seemed glued to his body.

'Damn that towel!' I thought angrily.

'Wait. What did I just think?! NO NO! You hate this guy, remember? But he has such a nice body…and…o gosh! I think I'm blushing! I hope he didn't notice!'

These thoughts flitted through my head as I continued to stare. This was definitely more than I had seen back at the river…the towel did not do a very good job covering him. It sat low on his waist and came down about mid thigh.

"Oh! My lady…"

'Is that a hint of pink on his face? Is he actually blushing? That's kinda cute…'

"I," he sighed, "Please forgive me. I was just coming from the baths. I didn't think I would find anyone here on such a night as this. Goodnight."

He bowed his head, turned and disappeared inside of his room a bit farther down the hall.

I stood there for a few moments, still unable to move.

'Was I _seriously_ just having those thoughts…about _him_?'

I shook my head and walked into my room. I still have to figure out a way to get back at him. That elf is such a pompous jerk. Ugh.

_POV: Legolas_

I could not believe what had just happened.

'I thought she was out with her father and the others…it's such a fine night. Most of the elves are outside stargazing and such.'

I let out a long sigh.

'I just wanted some time to have a nice relaxing bath. I most certainly did not expect that little run in, and was it my imagination, or was she staring at me non-stop?'

I shrugged the idea away and retired for the night.

I woke early the next morning, and on my way downstairs, I noticed Lord Elrond looking quite melancholy in his office.

"My Lord, is everything alright?"

His worried eyes slowly made their way to mine. He gave me a small smile before he answered my question.

"Yes, well…"

He let out a deep sigh and I knew something was really bothering him.

"It is just, Náriël, she sure had been giving me a hard time lately. It seems she does everything in her power to make getting along with her awfully hard. As you noticed, she even ran away!"

He said the last part with a very exasperated tone. Honestly, this seemed sort of interesting to me. I snapped out of my thoughts when I heard him continue.

"She is taking rebellious to new extremes! And this, this _Aniolad_…I don't like him. I don't like him at all."

I laughed at this.

Hearing my laughter, he jerked his head up and looked at me with confusion and slight anger written in his eyes.

I put my hands up in peace and tried to appease him by explaining myself.

"Well you see, my lord, I find this a bit…amusing, shall we say, because I do believe that the reason you do not like Aniolad is just because, well, for lack of a better way of putting it, 'your little girl is growing up.'"

I gave him a half smile and continued.

"I mean, are you sure that it really is _him_ that you don't like? Or do you think you would have this reaction to any guy?"

He huffed at me and turned; his back was to me now and he was looking intently out the window.

"Maybe you are right for the most part, but…still, there's just something about that boy that I do not like."

'Nice reasons for hating someone.' I thought.

'But maybe I should not question the lord, for his instincts usually prove correct.'

That entire day went by pretty quickly. Seeing that most of my work with Lord Elrond was done, I finally had my chance to relax. I spent the day practicing archery, horseback riding, and just lounging in the trees.

If I thought that the evening would be just as tranquil as my day, I was greatly mistaken.

_POV: Náriël_

It had been a beautiful day. I spent most of it with Aniolad, swimming, walking through the woods, and just talking.

Oh, this is what I had been waiting for! I really liked Aniolad and everything seemed so perfect. I smiled to myself.

The sun was just setting as we seated ourselves, hand in hand, on a beautifully carved bench on the side of my house. The sun was painting the little brook in front of us in a gorgeous orange; its waters shimmered as if thousands of diamonds had been scattered upon its surface. It seemed that everything was covered in a golden glow. It was warm, and a gentle breeze ran its fingers through my long hair.

A small sigh of satisfaction escaped my lips. I was so happy. For once in my life, I felt like I was wanted and that I belonged just where I was. As I turned to look at Aniolad, he claimed my lips in a gentle kiss.

This little kiss quickly progressed into more. Our tongues began to battle as his hands roamed all over my body. My mind was going crazy. The sensations he was sending through my body…A pleasant shiver ran down my spine.

No one had ever made me feel this way. Before I knew what was going on, I was flat on my back on the bench and he was on top of my, kissing my neck with hunger. His hands were all over me, and mine all over him.

"oooohhh…"

I closed my eyes and became oblivious to the world around us…

"NÁRIËLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

I nearly jumped out of my skin. I swear my heart missed a beat.

I looked up at Aniolad as his eyes grew wide and I could clearly see terror in them.

'Oh SHIT! No no no, this can't be happening to me!! Not now!!'

"GET OFF OF HER!!" I heard my father bellow.

I felt like I was going to cry.

Aniolad quickly scrambled off of me and bowed deeply.

"I…I'm sorry, my lord" I heard him mumble. He then straightened up and scurried off, leaving me to my father's wrath.

I slowly got up and smoothed out my rumpled dress.

"Come with me."

Now, one might think that since he was no longer yelling, he had calmed down somewhat. But I knew better. His voice held a dangerous note to it and I knew that there was no way I was getting out of this unscathed.

I let out a nervous sigh and followed him with my head bowed.

As we entered the house, I noticed Legolas standing there, staring at me with an eyebrow arched.

'How I despise that elf. Now more than ever. Just look at him standing there all high-and-mighty. He might as well be laughing in my face; pointing a finger and saying 'ha ha, you immature little elleth, you got caught and now you're going to get it!'

"Legolas," my father began, "would you please give us some time to talk, alone."

He nodded and left the house.

'Great. He doesn't even want to be in the same house.'

My father and I must have argued for what seemed like hours. I thought he was going to explode a few times. Honestly, I thought _I_ was going to explode a few times. To my disbelief he implied that I had sex with Aniolad. Of course, I had to contradict him there, for I had done no such thing. The boy hadn't penetrated me in sexual way. Kissing doesn't count.

What finally got me though was when I think my father's last nerve finally snapped.

"THAT'S _IT_. I DON'T WANT TO _EVER_ SEE YOU WITH THAT BOY AGAIN! DO YOU UNDERSTAND ME?!"

He was yelling so loudly that I thought I was going to go deaf.

I looked at him, and turned my back in defiance. That and I didn't want him to see the tears threatening to spill from my eyes.

I couldn't even speak anymore for I was afraid I would break down and cry right there. Without answering him, I stomped off to my room and slammed the door. I collapsed on my bed and cried myself to sleep.

'So much for everything being perfect,' I thought dryly.

* * *

**A/N:**

Hey guys! Ok, I know it took me a while to get this chapter up, sorry about that…anyway, I still haven't had Náriël get back at Legolas cause, honestly, I don't know what she can do without seeming _too_ immature. So please give me your ideas!! If I can't think of anything, I might have her kinda...forget about it, or change her mind about doing something altogether. And don't worry, I know this seems like its not really a Legolas romance yet, but it will. Ive just gotta work up to it first. Anyway, please don't forget to review!

**The Fresh Princess**: Thank you, thank you. It makes me happy to hear that.

**Silvermane1**: keep reading and you'll find out! Lol.

**Myri78**: yes I do understand, and this chappie didn't have much Legolas action either did it? Hehe…don't worry tho, as I said in the A/N, its coming…

**StarAngel Caelum SunSoar**: heh, yeah…sorry I made you wait so long. And if you thought the beginning was boring, thanks for sticking through it! I hope you liked this chapter.

**Draco Malfoy's Babe**: Hey! I like Draco too! Well when hes not being a total jackass lol (but hes always nice to look at eh?) I think I might do an HP fanfic eventually…anyway, ill try to get the next chapter up sooner.

**Icy Lullaby**: ahhh yes…naked Legolas…sigh.

**Yami Ray**: there will be more fights coming up. But as I said in the A/N, I need something good that's not too immature…so if u have any ideas, theyre welcome!

**Austin B**: Yeah, u know, I hadn't really noticed the whole triangle thing until u mentioned it! Lol! As far as whether Náriël likes Legolas or not, so far, shes not even sure about that. Fights fights fights, everyone likes those huh? Gosh, I have to think of something good…I need ideas! Anyway, im glad you like the fanfic!

**GreenEyedElfGoddess**: hehe, thanx.

**WindSorceress**: hey, im glad you like this! And I would like to see Legolas naked too…came so close in Troy (for orli anyway) …damn that stupid bed. .


	6. proposal

Perplexities of Growing Up

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the places or characters used here except for Náriël-I did invent her, and if she resembles anyone else's character in anyway, im sorry- not done on purpose. Everything else belongs to Tolkien.

A/N: Alrighty, one thing I wanna mention is that, I noticed quite a few ppl put me on "author alert" but about half of them don't review! That upsets me. Please take the time to review my story!! Anyhoo... on with the story!

Chapter 6

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POV: Author

Early the next morning, Legolas came into Elrond's office only to find him furiously pacing. He seemed to be deep in thought and Legolas was afraid he'd pace a hole right through the wooden floor.

"My Lord?"

"(sigh) good morning Legolas." He didn't even bother to look up at the younger elf, but instead, continued his pacing.

"Lord Elrond, please! You're beginning to make me dizzy!" He let out a nervous laugh because that was obviously untrue; it would take a LOT more than watching someone pace to make him dizzy.

However, at the comment, Elrond did finally stop, and looked up at the youthful warrior before him. Legolas seemed a bit uneasy under his scrutinizing gaze, for Elrond was obviously hatching some kind of plan. Knowing him, Legolas would probably be involved.

'What could he be thinking?'

Legolas suddenly noticed a slight spark in the lord's eyes and a tiny smile appeared on his face.

'uh-oh, this can't be good,' thought Legolas.

"Legolas," he began, "Please, come with me."

With that, Elrond led him to an adjoining meeting room. It was much more comfortable and definitely less stiff. There were comfortable chairs as well as a few desks. Floor-to-ceiling, glassless and screenless 'windows' graced about half of the large, circular room.

Legolas took a seat behind a small table on which stood a large bowl of red grapes. He was very familiar with this room and knew he could be relaxed here. He eyed the grapes...

"Go ahead Legolas," Elrond gestured towards the bowl and smiled.

Legolas smiled back at him as he leaned back in his chair and put his feet up on the desk as he had done many times before when Elrond called him to these 'friendly chats.' They weren't really like meetings, for having a 'meeting' usually meant something important and was held in a different room altogether. This room, this room was different.

He grabbed a vine of grapes from the bowl and tipped his chair back slightly so that it was balancing on its two back legs.

"So...what was it that you wished to discuss with me?" Legolas raised an eyebrow as he waited for Elrond to answer him.

"Well (sigh) as I've told you before... Náriël," He paused and shook his head.

'Oh this is going to be good. Anything concerning that girl is always quite interesting for it seems she has a knack for upsetting her father and getting into mischief.'

"She," Elrond continued, "she is just getting completely out of hand and uncontrollable. I'm sure you remember what happened yesterday?"

Legolas nodded, for he had seen the 'wonderful' display of affection by Náriël and Aniolad just as Elrond had. Honestly, if he hadn't been so taken aback by the audacity of the couple to do something like that in public, Elrond probably never would have looked over and seen them himself.

'Oh well...'

"Well I forbade Náriël to ever see that elf again, but knowing her she'll go and try to see him behind my back!" Elrond scowled at this thought.

"The thing is, I need someone to teach her...well, a lot of things. For one, she needs to know how to properly defend herself...and really, proper etiquette. I mean, I know that's what I'm supposed to do. But she just will not listen to me. She refuses to pay any attention and besides that, I have been very busy of late. Therefore, I have not been able to keep a proper eye on her..."

Legolas listened intently and he was slightly confused as to where this was all leading to, but he was suddenly becoming very suspicious.

After a short pause, Elrond once again resumed, "What makes things worse is that I constantly have to leave Rivendell for business purposes and I will be having to leave to the Golden Woods in about a month's time. I simply cannot leave her alone. When I had previously done so, and for only a few days mind you, she always managed to get herself into some kind of trouble. This time I will be gone about two weeks."

"Right..."

"After the summer, things will die down here and settle back to normal for she will be back in the Elven School, but for now....well...Legolas, to cut to the chase, I have a proposition for you."

'Oh boy, here it comes...somehow, I don't think I'm going to like this one bit.'

"Legolas, how would you like to spend the rest of the summer off duty, here in Imladris?"

"What?"

"Well, you could...sort of...ummm...watch over Náriël for me and maybe help teach her some of those things I have mentioned."

"Let me get this straight, you want me to baby-sit your daughter for the summer?"

Legolas could not believe what he was hearing. This was the most odd request he had ever been given. He loved it here in Imladris and having the summer off of duties was very appealing, but he had to stick to his responsibilities. What would his father say?

"Legolas you know that you are like a son to me. I completely trust you with both my life and that of my daughter."

Legolas had to smile at this. He loved Elrond as a father too, and it was nice to hear him say that, but to baby-sit Náriël?

"Not only that, but you are a great warrior and patient teacher, I think you are the best to teach Náriël both the bow and the sword properly...and etiquette...well we both know that your manners most certainly befit a prince and my daughter could use a good example such as yourself."

At this point Legolas was just dumbfounded. He had been praised many times before but this was almost getting out of hand. He happened to be a fairly modest elf and hearing all of this was making him fidgety. If he didn't know Náriël he would have agreed to this in a heartbeat, but, that was not the case. "What about my father? Surely he's expecting me back in a matter of days, and my duties, I cannot just drop everything..." He trailed off.

"Yes well, as far as I know, the both of us just took care of your most important issue when you first came here. But, I will gladly send a letter to your father explaining the situation and asking for your leave, that is, if you are agreeing to this?"

"I..." he gently rocked back and forth in his chair contemplating the situation.

POV: Legolas

I was so stunned by this proposition that I was literally speechless.

'Should I agree to it? Surely training her would be easy enough for I had trained many of the soldiers that are currently in the army of Mirkwood, and they are all quite good too, if I say so myself. I rather enjoy teaching actually. But as far as etiquette goes, I think that girl is hopeless!'

I finally decided that this would just be an interesting challenge; I could use a change in my life about now. Something new and different...

"Alright, My Lord, I accept."

"Wonderful. I will send a letter to Thranduil immediately. This week is going to be quite busy then..."

"Why is that?" I questioned him.

"Well, since you have agreed to this, and since you really do not visit quite often enough, I think I will throw a ball in your honor. That's just what we need around here too, a little bit of excitement!"

I stared at him, my mouth agape.

'What next?!'

Don't get me wrong, I love balls and parties and am quite fond of dancing. But a ball in my honor?! That's hardly necessary I think. I sighed in defeat though, for I knew that once Elrond had made up his mind on something like this, there was no talking him out of it.

'Well this is going to be interesting, very interesting.'

I stood to leave but was stopped by Lord Elrond. "One more thing, Legolas."

I turned towards him, and his face was lit up in joy and excitement. It was kind of odd to see him like that, for it was not very often he expressed his emotions quite so freely. What worried me though, was the mischief sparkling in his eyes.

'And he wonders where Náriël gets it all.'

"Yes?"

"I do believe that Náriël does not have many fancy and elegant dresses, for she usually prefers to wear simpler and more of riding dresses due to her unlady-like activites. So, I would greatly appreciate it if you would take her to some of the shops to find an appropriate gown for the ball, and you might want to find something for yourself as well. I would take her myself, but I have so much to plan now, and besides, as I said, you need to get something too."

He smiled at me. A sly sly smile. He tricked me into this, I know he probably hates taking her shopping and so, since he's throwing the ball in MY honor, the least I could do was take her. So, I nodded and left, what else could I have done?

Hopefully this won't be too bad. And he was right, I did need to find something for myself. The only problem was, who was going to inform Náriël about the situation? I suddenly paused in the corridor as realization dawned at me. That dog, he knew that I would have to explain why she needed a new gown...one thing would lead to another... my question was answered. I would have to be the one.

Oh damn it.  


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A/N: Ok, well I hope you enjoyed that chapter...things getting a bit more interesting now huh? lol! It's all begun, Legolas has accepted, but how will Náriël take the news?

Thanks go out to all my great reviewers!

Silvermane1: : )

Myri78: its funny that you should mention that...ummm...lets just say that Aniolad isn't completely out of the picture yet .;; although, it make take me a bit till I get there, but once I do, youll know what im talking about!

Icy Lullaby: first of all, id just like to say that ur sn is pretty cool! lol. Anyway, as far as the towel goes, at least he had the decency to not be walking around naked eh? tho what a sight that woulda made (sigh).

Austin B: yay! Im glad you agree with me, im guessing you read that review and my response eh? ;; anyhoo, thanks for your idea, its actually really good and I may end up using it or a version of it anyway. Thanks for ur support! : )

The Fresh Princess: thank you SO much!

Lazydoll06: hmmm...getting bolder huh? just wait till next chapter. lol. And btw, thanks hun! ; )

Windsorceress: thank you, thank you, and yes you should go see troy wink wink and yeah, as far as Elrond just blowing up, I can soooo see a dad doing something like that! lol! When you say 'if theres something wrong with him', are you talking about Aniolad? Cause all I have to say is, you guys haven't seen the last of him!! Hehe. One question tho, you know how u always sign it with "#1 fan"? just curious, but do you always sign reviews like that or am I just special? lol!!


	7. And so, a scheme is plotted

Perplexities of Growing Up  
  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the places or characters used here except for Náriël-I did invent her, and if she resembles anyone else's character in anyway, im sorry- not done on purpose. Everything else belongs to Tolkien.  
  
**A/N:** Yay! New people reviewed! happy dance :) thanks guys!!! (or should I say ladies? I don't believe I have any guys reading this O.O -shrugs- )  
  
Chapter 7

* * *

_POV: Legolas  
_  
Well, needless to say, things did NOT go smoothly with Náriël. We argued for well over half an hour until Lord Elrond finally decided to show up. After calming her down he made it quite clear that the situation was not negotiable and that I was to accompany her while she picked out a gown.  
  
So here is where I find myself now, walking down the beautiful ally ways of Imladris. Yet no matter how enchanting its tree-lined streets are, my mind kept drifting back to the morning's incident. It seemed to be a small sample of what was awaiting me once I was fully immersed in my new 'job.' For make no mistake, so far I had just scratched the surface.  
  
_-flashback-  
  
"Náriël, may I speak with you?"  
  
"Umm...ok, sure."  
  
(clears throat) "Your father has asked me to take you down to the shops so that you may buy a new ball gown, for he has decided to, errr, throw a ball...in my honor"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Well I, I just agreed to umm, help him out..."  
  
"I see, but a ball takes a lot of planning, you can't just have it tomorrow."  
  
"Well who said it was tomorrow? It's going to be in about two weeks."  
  
"But I thought you were leaving soon?"  
  
"Umm, change of plans. I'm staying for the summer!" "You're WHAT?!"  
  
I winced. 'Uh oh, here it comes...'  
  
"What_ _**exactly**_ _are you helping my father with?"  
  
Her tone was deadly and I knew she suspected something. How is it that women pick up on these things? Maybe I'm just acting too nervous around her right now...?  
  
"Uhhh...I..."  
  
'I sound like a fool, stammering like that! I know this is supposed to be Elrond's job for mine comes later, but still. I should have nothing to be nervous about. I mean, what's the worst that could happen? She'll yell at me a bit? Big deal! **I **am a warrior elf! I can handle this, no problem.'  
  
"The fact of the matter is, Náriël, you're father will be leaving for the Golden Woods soon and he finds it simply irresponsible of him to leave you here alone, seeing as how he will be gone for quite a while. Therefore, he has asked me to spend the summer here and watch over you...as well as maybe teach you some things such as the basics of self defense..."  
  
I decided to leave out the part about teaching her manners. She'd probably completely blow up if I told her that.  
  
'I suppose I'll have to sneak in lessons in etiquette sometimes before the ball.'  
  
"You, you...YOU WHAT?! MY FATHER IS...HAVING YOU **BABYSIT **ME?! You have GOT to be kidding!"  
  
She laughed and for a second there I thought that things had actually gone much better than expected. I then realized that she really thought I was joking.  
  
'Is she actually waiting for me to respond? I thought that was supposed to be a rhetorical question.'  
  
"As a matter of fact, I'm being quite serious."  
  
There. I said it. I told her of her father's plan and now stood there awaiting her response. She didn't move. She didn't say anything. She just stood there. I think she was letting it sink in.  
  
Suddenly, her expression changed. She stared at me. Eyes wide and face contorted in anger.  
  
"You...I...I HATE you!!! I despise you!!! I...I detest you, with a passion!!!" Náriël looked so livid I seriously thought she might explode any minute now. I noticed her bottom lip quiver slightly, showing that she was holding back tears. Honestly, from all of the reactions I had expected from her, crying was not one of them. I don't know if I was really prepared to deal with that.  
  
She began to slowly move towards me. Her steps were menacing, but I would not budge. Did she honestly think this was going to intimidate me? Her breathing was labored and her fists were clenched at her sides. It seemed like a fire burned in her eyes, and once again I was reminded of how perfectly her name fit her.  
  
Right at that moment Elrond entered.  
  
'FINALLY!'  
  
"Náriël! What is the meaning of this?!"  
  
She spun around at the sound of her father's voice so that her back was to me now. She stared at him with the same anger and hatred that she had used just a minute ago on me.  
  
"Náriël..."  
  
Her father's voice was threatening. Just daring her to blow up on him. His face was hard as he looked upon his daughter. Sighing, he shook his head.  
  
"You never could act like a proper young lady and take something smoothly, leaving a shred of dignity, could you?"  
  
"How, how could you do this?"  
  
Her voice was barely above a whisper.  
  
"I didn't know I was THAT big of a disappointment."  
  
This time, her voice was louder. It was cold and shook with anger mixed with held back tears. Suddenly, she whipped her head back and stared at me. I could see her eyes rimmed with tears and I suddenly felt really awful.  
  
This wasn't supposed to go this way. I hadn't counted on her crying and now I felt like a jerk. I couldn't help it though; I had been tricked into this! The only thing we could do was make the best of things...I mean, sure I could have declined but...I can't just say no to Lord Elrond! Not after all that he's done for me over the years!  
  
Náriël looked back at her father and taking in a shaky breath, she stormed out of the room. Elrond sighed and shook his head, after which he departed as well.  
  
'What am I supposed to do now?' My guilt finally won over and I went to find Náriël. I don't even know why I felt guilty, it's not like I had planned all of this, but still...  
  
I found Náriël in her room with her face shoved into a large pillow. She would sniffle now and then and I almost didn't want to approach her; I was afraid that it would hurt her pride even more if she knew I had seen her crying. At the same time, maybe that wasn't too bad. After all, I think she had just about as big an ego as Haldir of Lothlórien! And that was saying a lot!  
  
I was suddenly snapped out of my thoughts and my eyes came back into focus as I noticed some movement from the bed. Náriël had now pushed herself into a sitting position and was not using the sleeve of her dress to wipe her nose.  
  
'How unlady like.'  
  
She then got up and walked into the bathroom, obviously oblivious to my presence in the room. I decided to leave before I saw something I shouldn't have.  
  
About an hour later, I was sitting outside in the courtyard when Náriël finally decided to show herself.  
  
"Come on," she said, "It seems I have to find a new gown for the ball."  
  
With that, she turned and left, probably expecting me to follow. I laid down the book I was reading on the wide railing and stood up. Her voice had been filled with spite and although she seemed to have accepted the situation (and not with a hint of grace, I must add) it was obvious she was going to make things as difficult as possible for me.  
  
-end of flashback-  
_  
And so, here I am now.  
  
_POV: Author  
_  
The two elves walked side by side among the shops. At one point, Náriël turned to her right and spotted a shop with beautiful gowns displayed in the window. Without saying a word to Legolas, she turned and walked inside.  
  
Legolas quickly picked up the sound, or rather lack of, feet beside him. He looked at where Náriël was just moments ago and noticed her absence. Glancing around, he saw her disappear inside the store with gowns.  
  
He then decided to stop and looking around, he noticed a shop just across the street that would suit him fine. He needed some new clothes for the ball as well...a new tunic, leggings, etc. He walked inside.  
  
...Half an hour later, Legolas emerged from the shop carrying a parcel. Glancing about him, he noticed that Náriël was no where in sight.  
  
'She can't still be in there, can she?'  
  
He sighed and made his way to the shop. As he stepped inside, he nearly collided with Náriël, who had her own parcel tucked under her arm.  
  
"Got your dress?" he asked her.  
  
"No, Legolas. I went into a store of gowns and bought a hat."  
  
He looked at her with a confused expression on his face. She gave him an exasperated sigh in reply. Then, with a look of 'I'm so not impressed' ( -.- that face) she continued.  
  
"Stupid questions will be given stupid answers."  
  
He snorted at her and rolled his eyes in response.  
  
'Her tongue is like a razor, and she's got an attitude to match too.'  
  
"Tula, Náriël."  
  
They left the shop and were making their way back to The Last Homely House when they suddenly encountered something quite interesting.  
  
Two young elleths, about two centuries older than Náriël (therefore they were a century younger than Legolas...so they'd be like 16 human wise) were standing there talking. They were beautiful. Tall, but not too tall; dark brown locks made their way down the back of one elleth. She was thin and had curves in all the right places. Her gown clung to her in such a way that it accented and complimented her figure perfectly. Her eyes were a brilliant blue.  
  
The other elleth was slightly heavier and had lighter brown hair that reached only about three inches bellow her shoulders. Her eyes were a deep brown. The gown she wore slightly hung in certain places and seemed a tad too tight in others; compared to her friend, she seemed much less elegant and graceful.  
  
The first elleth turned her long, swan-like neck towards Legolas and gave a small, mysterious and sort of smug half smile. The look she gave him was almost enchanting and a sort of 'come hither' look.  
  
Náriël noticed Legolas stiffen a bit. He smiled back at the two ladies before him, but his smile was obviously forced to her. Náriël watched him closely for there was something about this encounter that intrigued her.  
  
The second girl whispered something to the first one, and with a slight curtsy, she scurried off as Legolas and Náriël approached where her friend still stood.  
  
"Quel undome, my Lord" as she said this, she gave Legolas an extra deep curtsy, which symbolized a high amount of respect.  
  
"Please, raise my lady."  
  
Náriël rolled her eyes at this. 'Since when has HE been the princely gentleman? This should be interesting, I mean, everyone keeps saying how noble and grand _Prince_ Legolas is. Well maybe for once, I can see it for myself...'  
  
The elleth slowly stood back up and held her head high with dignity. Her eyes darted to Náriël and the later noticed almost a sort of flicker in her eyes...a flicker of what? It seemed like a flicker of warning to Náriël.  
  
'Does this elleth actually think that I would stand in the way if something should happen between her and Legolas? Thought judging from how tense he is right now, I doubt that would happen. Ahhh, Legolas is such a good pretender. The perfect actor. He has her totally fooled. I can't believe she actually thinks she can seduce him!'  
  
Náriël let out a small snort, which caught the attention of the young prince before her. He looked down and knitted his eyebrows. For some reason, this made Náriël feel slightly ashamed of her rude display, and she averted he eyes downward.  
  
Looking back up at the older elleth before him, he asked, "What is your name, my lady?"  
  
"Sulia"  
  
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Sulia." And with the proper courtesy of a gentleman, he bent down and barely touched his lips to her hand.  
  
"My Lord, Prince Legolas, I have heard rumors that you have decided to grace Imladris with your presence for the remainder of the summer. Tell me, is that true?"  
  
Her voice was silky and she moved slightly closer to him as she spoke. Her obvious come on to the prince disgusted Náriël. She took a few steps away from the pair just for the sake of comfort.  
  
"Well, yes. By the request of the Lord Elrond, I have decided to stay here for the rest of the summer."  
  
"Oh, how wonderful!" she exclaimed. Her red colored lips curled into a salacious smile as she stepped even closer to Legolas.  
  
"So there really will be a ball in your honor then? Tell me, have you decided who you would like to escort?"  
  
_POV: Náriël  
_  
"Ummm," as he spoke, he turned towards me and was staring at me, "Yes actually. I will be escorting," it was as if he were speaking to me and not Sulia, "Náriël."  
  
'WHAT' I could feel my eyes grow big from shock. 'THAT was something he had conveniently left out from our ..._conversation_...this morning!'  
  
'He has GOT to stop giving me news like this! One of these times I'm going to have a heart attack! Or a nervous breakdown or _something_! Oh well, at least he managed to bring her down, though probably not on purpose for he's much too nice for that.'  
  
If I was actually voicing myself aloud, anyone would be able to hear the sarcasm just dripping off of each word. As I looked on, I heard her give a small exclamation with an "Oh my!"  
  
She then proceeded to lean in. She was so close to Legolas that their bodies were practically touching. I saw her gently lay a hand on his as she placed her mouth near his ear. His eyes widened slightly and I noticed him swallow. Now, it is well known that for elves, their ears happened to be very sensitive, well it would seem it was a hot spot for Legolas. I snickered.  
  
Sulia "whispered" something to Legolas which I'm sure I was meant to hear. It enraged me and I wanted nothing more than to walk up to her and hit her square in the face, knocking off that smug smile from her face.  
  
She said, "Well, why on Middle Earth would you want to escort _her_? That little immature elleth is nothing but a nuisance! Surely you would wish yourself to enjoy a ball that is thrown in your honor and not spend the night..._babysitting_ her?"  
  
Babysitting. If she only knew.  
  
With that, he quickly, but gently pushed her away, giving himself some room to breathe. What I heard him say next made me sort of happy for some reason. In a way, he was defending me and saving my dignity.  
  
"My lady, I hardly think that was appropriate."  
  
His voice was hard and stern and his eyes were cold. I couldn't help but bow my head in shame from what she had said though.  
  
'So it seems that my father isn't the only one that has such a low opinion of me...' I felt like a total failure. I suddenly felt a warm and gentle hand on my shoulder.  
  
"Let's go Náriël."  
  
I looked up into his face, but he was not looking at me. Nodding I followed behind him. For some odd reason, I was suddenly filled with rage. I could stand up for myself. I didn't need HIM to do it for me!  
  
"You didn't have to do that, I can take care of myself you now." My voice held quite a bite to it and it probably came out much ruder than I had intended. He looked at me and arched a fine eyebrow.  
  
"You really are ungrateful."  
  
That was all he said. That simple statement only managed to anger me further. Why it was that I felt a constant need to be fighting or arguing with someone, I did not know. Maybe it was because that was the only way I felt I was ever noticed. In any case, at that moment, I hated him as much as I had earlier that morning.  
  
His encounter with the other elleth came back to mind a sinister plan began to unfold in my mind. I could finally get back at him. For everything. For all those times. Oh yes, revenge is so sweet. I couldn't help but smirk.

* * *

**A/N:**

**  
****Tula** = Come  
  
**Quel undome** = Good evening  
  
Alrighty, I know I mentioned Haldir in there, but no, he's not gonna make an appearance in this story lol! Anyway, thanks for you're great reviews! I hope you liked this chapter, it was pretty fun to write! Thanks to **Austin B** for her great idea for a way in which Náriël can finally get her revenge!! I'm gonna take it and kinda twist it around a bit...add some spice to it (lol) so that it works better with Náriël's personality...it'll be in the next chapter –its gonna be great! Thanks again hun! : )  
  
**Icy Lullaby**: lol, I know what you mean about the sn thing, I mean, id change mine more often but it gets annoying to think of a good new one and to then tell all my friends...so I just don't bother . -.-;;  
  
**The Fresh Princess**: yup yup...things getting a bit more exciting now huh? lol ; )  
  
**Austin B**: lol, yes, Elrond IS sneaky isn't he? Making Legolas do all that... (shakes head) anyway, yeah I did like your idea, it sparked an idea of my own so im kinda gonna twist urs around a bit and well, you'll see...its gonna be in the next chapter ...the ball, that's gonna be fun to write, im getting excited just thinking about it! LOL! XP  
  
**Lady Pure:** of course im gonna write more! Im really getting into this fanfic myself! LOL! And besides, I hate it when I read a good fanfic and then the author just never finishes it. That annoys the hell outta me, so im not gonna do the same thing to you guys!  
  
**Victoria**: thanks so much!  
  
**Elven at Heart:** hey, ur into HP too?! That's awesome! One of these days im gonna get around to writing an HP fanfic...but I have to say, after seening HP3, I don't think im gonna do a Draco one, I was considering it before, but he was sucha wuss!!! I just can't bring myself to write a fanfic with him now (sigh) anyway, I think im gonna do a Snape/OC...I kinda have an idea forming...we'll see.  
  
**WindSorceress:** yup, theyre stuck together...but as far as them falling in love...well, that may take a while. Hehe, well you'll see if you keep reading! Im really glad you like my fanfic a lot. Ive had this idea for the longest time...and I kep thinking 'hey, one day, im gonna type it all out' and whatdaya know, I finally got around to it! Hehe, thanks to a bit of pushing by lazydoll06 (smirk).  
  
**Legolas-Obessesionist:** Thanks SO much! That makes me happy to hear that! and umm...you do realize that the second word in ur SN isn't actually a word ... right? ( I think maybe you meant obsessionist? Tho technically that aint a word either but w/e : } )  
  
**Unski**: thanks so much for your review. And yeah, since both Legolas and Elrond were being so formal most of the time, I kinda wanted to remind the readers that Legolas did spend a lot of time in Rivendell and the two were actually really close, therefore he felt like he could kinda let his guard down and relax around Elrond. About Legolas getting jealous, well, something like that's gonna happen later...only its not gonna be Legolas! Im not gonna tell you anymore because that will totally ruin a surprise that's coming up...your just gonna have to wait a bit!! .  
  
**Silvermane1**: ...oookkk...you know, you leave odd "reviews" O.o  
  
**Lazydoll06:** thanks a bunch, but Legolas...GAY . hardly!!! First of all, he was FORCED to go shopping...second of all, I think its great if a guy can dance! Lol. Anyway...hes most def. NOT gay...as we'll all see later on (smirks) u just gotta be patient...I have to drag this out and make it interesting. I'm not about to do a one shot lemon...although...j/k j/k! lol XP


	8. Revenge is so sweet!

Perplexities of Growing Up

**Disclaimer**: I do not own any of the places or characters used here except for Náriël-I did invent her, and if she resembles anyone else's character in anyway, im sorry- not done on purpose. Everything else belongs to Tolkien.

**!!IMPORTANT!!**

**Yes, I've read all 3 books, the hobbit, and part of the silmarillion. This is an AU! So no Arwen or her brothers…I already mentioned this, so please stop flaming about it! If you don't like, don't read!**

Chapter 8: Revenge is so sweet!

* * *

_POV: Author_

The next morning, Náriël began to set her plan into motion. She spent her time scouting the woods/working in the woods and trying to avoid Legolas. After toiling for hours, her trap was almost done...all she needed was one more thing...

Náriël walked through the beautiful alleyways of Rivendell when she at last spotted what she was looking for. A group of young elleths, probably a few centuries old (they're supposed to be like 11-12 yr olds, maybe 13 at most) was crowded around a bench. They all seemed to be talking in high pitched and excited voices.

Náriël came up to them and listened to what they were saying. It would seem that the elleths had heard the news about Legolas staying for the summer and the upcoming ball. From what she could tell, they were completely obsessed with him!

'Oh this is just perfect, exactly what I was looking for,' she snickered to herself.

As she walked up closer, one particular elleth caught her eye. Though she was still very young, she was quite beautiful. Sharp blue eyes complimented her dark brown hair and she had a look upon her face as she spoke of Legolas, something like a look of superiority or triumph.

"Excuse me?" Náriël had finally decided to speak up. The entire group fell silent and turned to stare at her.

"I couldn't help but over hear you ladies speaking of Legolas..."

She didn't even have a chance to finish her sentence when the earlier described elleth interrupted her.

"You mean, you were eavesdropping and hearing of Prince Legolas, decided to join into our conversation?"

The arrogant smirk upon her face made Náriël want to come right up and smack her. However, she needed these elleths and she wasn't prepared to do something that would risk her losing their cooperation.

'Why does this elleth look so darn familiar?! Her looks...her manner of speaking...her attitude...who does she remind me of?!'

"That is not at all what happened, and despite your rude and inaccurate remark, I will still let you in on this bit of information, that I'm sure you would love to hear."

Smirking to herself, she proceeded to tell the elleths this 'information.' With in no time, she had them lured into her net and her trap was complete... Náriël hurried back home and arrived in time for lunch. Her father had been tied up in some business in a small near by town all morning and had not yet returned; therefore, Legolas and Náriël would be dining alone. This would be the first time they had seen each other since breakfast.

_POV: Náriël  
_  
Legolas, being the inquisitive elf he is, immediately bombarded me with questions in regards to my whereabouts this morning the second he saw me. I cleverly managed to either avoid the questions or be evasive enough so as not to rouse suspicion.

Toward the end of our meal, I decided that I had better get the ball rolling. Looking out the window and to the sun outside, I saw that we had better hurry up or everything would be ruined.

"Oh Legolas, I almost forgot to tell you," my tone sounded so fake I was afraid he had noticed. Instead, he simply raised an eyebrow in question.

"Yes?"

"This morning," this definitely peaked is attention for his ears perked up immediately...after all, he was curious to know what I had been up to, "I was walking through the forest, and I came upon the most curious sight...I have no idea what it is! So I was hoping that you could tell me, perhaps? I can take you there now if you're finished."

Legolas clearly had a confused face, but nodded his acquiescence to my request before replying that he was finished and ready to go.

'Good, if we walk quickly, we'll make it there just in time.'

_POV: Author_

The two elves walked through the winding trees and down a small but worn path; Náriël was up ahead and Legolas trailed by a good three yards. After about 20 minutes, Legolas noticed the trees thinning and he spotted a clearing up ahead.

'It must be over there in that field, whatever _IT_ is...' he thought to himself.

In fact, he was so absorbed in trying to figure out what _it_ was that he hadn't noticed how daintily Náriël was now stepping. She was no longer walking in a straight line, but bouncing from one place to another. If Legolas had been paying attention, it would have appeared as if she was drunk and attempting to dance.

Suddenly, Náriël stopped and stepped off to the side. This finally grabbed his attention and he looked over at her with questioning eyes.

"There." She said as she pointed to a tree bordering between the forest and the clearing.

"If you step right by that tree, you'll see _IT_."

"Well why don't you come with me?" he asked.

She shook her head in the negative and her eyes widened, "I'm too scared." She mumbled the last part for there was no way she would be too scared! Yet there was also no way _she_ could walk up there with him...

Legolas shrugged his shoulders and moved to the tree. As he stepped beside it and gazed out upon the field, he heard a twig snap. Whirling around, he unexpectedly found himself trapped in a cage. This wasn't an ordinary cage either, for it had been crafted well and was VERY strong. Legolas grabbed the bars and shook them, testing their durability.

"Náriël," he said, "go and fetch my daggers will you?"

'Just perfect, the one day I leave my weapons behind!'

He snapped out of his thoughts as he heard snickering...which grew to giggling...which grew to laughter...which then grew to full blown hysteria. Turning his attention to the sound he now saw Náriël bent over and clutching her stomach in laughter. At that moment it hit him that Náriël was the one that insisted that he leave his weapons behind, saying that he wouldn't need them seeing as how it would be such a short walk.

It then dawned on Legolas that this had all been a trap and there was nothing here for him to see...this was Náriël's doing! He glowered at her.

"WHAT....IS THE MEANING OF **THIS**," he roared at her.

She only laughed harder.

Legolas was absolutely furious. What had he done to deserve this?! What was wrong with this elleth?! She was mad...absolutely _mad_! Just then his ears picked up a very unwelcome noise...the laughter of young elleths. His wide eyes found their way back to Náriël's as she stared at him with a grin that seemed to be permanently plastered to her face.

Without saying a word, she turned and swaggered back down the path from which they had come...

Legolas was thoroughly pissed and dreading what was now beginning to approach his cage. The group of young elleths squealed as they caught sight of the ensnared Elven prince (and it was the same group that Náriël had spoken to earlier, mind you). They came up to Legolas and the elleth that had stood out to Náriël upon their first meeting stepped forward –she seemed to be the bravest and most confident of all her friends.

The elleth stood there and leered at Legolas.

"So," she began, "how are you going to do this...looks? Brains? Athletics?"

"Do what?! What are you talking about?!"

"How are you going to pick which one of us you're going to take to the ball?!"

"What?!"

The elleth twirled around and Legolas looked up upon hearing laughter.

"What are you talking about Taliawen ? Prince Legolas isn't going to take any of you _elflings_. Even though, he was _planning_ on taking a different elfling...but somehow, I think I can change his mind."

As the new elleth spoke these words, she locked eyes with Legolas and the corners of her mouth curled up into a familiar sly smirk...

'Sulia....'

Legolas watched as she sauntered up to him and pushed aside the younger elleth. He then noticed how much the two were alike.

"But sister!" the younger one squealed out.

Sulia turned around and lowered her eyes.

"You heard me Taliawen! Now take your friends and leave...Legolas and I need a little privacy..." as she purred this out, she had stepped up close to the cage.

Taliawen sighed in defeat and hanging her head, she left...her friends quickly followed after her. Sulia, now satisfied that she was alone with Legolas gently took hold of two bars and pressed her face through them.

"My Lord, it's so good to see you again...quite a predicament you seem to have gotten yourself in though. But I must say...for some reason...I have the sudden urge to be there inside that cage with you."

She attempted to pout her lips and put on the sexiest face she could muster. If it was any other elf, her tricks would have worked long ago in seducing him, but Legolas had loyalties that lied else where. He would not give in to her tempting tricks...no matter go enchanting she looked.

'I cannot believe the audacity of this elleth!' by this time he was quite exasperated and very, VERY annoyed.

'Náriël is soooo going to pay for this.'

"I'm sorry, Sulia. I don't know what you are thinking but you are stepping over bounds here. Now I must ask that if you have a dagger of some sort on you, would you please give it to me so that I may finally get out of here?"

He was trying his best to be nice and not lose his temper, although he was very close to it at this point.

"Oh, I can give you something alright, but it's not a dagger..."

Legolas quickly regretted moving closer to her during his speech as he suddenly found Sulia's hand gliding up his thigh. He took a step back, but to his dismay, there was no where left for him to go if she should attempt to advance on him again.

"A bit shy are we? I promise I won't hurt you _Legolas_...I can make you feel like you've never felt before..." she trailed off and attempted to touch his thigh again.

Legolas had to smirk at this. He suddenly found himself with new energy; his adrenaline was pumping and he grabbed her wrist, pulling her against the bars...and closer to him...

* * *

**A/N:** Ok, im so sorry for taking for EVER with this chapter... but I go thru phases where I really wanna write, and end up updating in like 2 days, and then phases where I just cant seem to bring myself to write...which is what I just went thru, so hopefully, ill manage to get the next chapter up a bit quicker.

**Icy Lullaby**: well if you do change ur sn and review, let me know its you k? and if you thought she had a lot of nerve last chapter...just look at her here! Haha! Anyway, sorry for the wait, but I hope you liked this chapter!

**Ctimene**: thanks so much! Ive actually gotten complaints that I make the elves more huma- like and less ...I dunno, ethereal I guess, but im glad you like it. I think I have enough reviewers that like it the way it is for me to keep it. Besides, too late to change things now anyway, lol.

**Elven at Heart**: heh, not a bad idea...I might use it to some degree when it gets closer to the ball...which will prob be in a few chapters, but not just yet. ; )

**Prince of Mirkwoods sexy elf**: thank you SO much! It makes me feel really good to hear you say that about my writing! Sorry it took so long to update. o.o;;

**DesolateAznVamp**: lol...youd be surprised...as far as the long summer goes. And I betcha its not what ur thinking...b/c as I said in one of my A/Ns I believe...theres gonna be an interesting twist...(winks)

**Austin B:** I hope you liked the chapter and I thank you for the idea once again : )

**Jack-Sparrow-Lover**: yay! Thanks!

**Princess Shadowcat**: Thanks so much! And I do like Yu Yu Hakusho...so as long as hiei gets some action (preferably not w/ kurama, as many ppl seem to like to pair him...cringes). Btw. Is ur story under a different sn?

**Eryn Galen**: (happy dance) thank you, thank you (takes a bow) im glad you like it so much! ; )

**Angela**: wow! Thanks so much...I mean, if u read a lot of fanfics, that means a great deal to me!

**Lazydoll06**: HAHA! Thanks hun! A creative writing class? Really? Where?! Lol! Btw. Hurry ur ass up and update you lazy bum! I finally did (tho it took my a while didn't it?) . -.-;;

**Mary**: good

**WindSorceress**: haha, yeah...well if it takes them longer to fall in love, then itll just make for a longer fanfic, if u want something quick go read a one shot, ya know? Lol! Anyway, I was thinking about writing this before lazydoll06 did anything, she just kinda told me to get off my lazy ass and go actually write it cause she thought id be great...and whatda ya know? ppl actually like it! lol

**ShopGirl1**: sorry it took so long!

**CaptainRaven**: HAHA! Hey, ur sn...Raven...Raven as in the Raven from zoids? O.o


	9. The Tables Get Turned

Perplexities of Growing Up

**Disclaimer**: I do not own any of the places or characters used here except for Náriël-I did invent her, and if she resembles anyone else's character in anyway, im sorry- not done on purpose. Everything else belongs to Tolkien.

**A/N:** as always, thanks to all my reviewers!

Chapter 9

* * *

_POV: Author_

...his adrenaline was pumping and he grabbed her wrist, pulling her against the bars...and closer to him...

Stepping up to the bars he lowered his mouth so that it was right by her ear and he felt her shiver. His voice was ruff as he whispered in her ear.

"Now what makes you think that I've never felt such bliss before?"

Her eyes widened to this remark and she blushed. What happened next, she hadn't expected. The gentleman in Legolas was gone and he was beyond furious. He shoved Sulia away from him so that she fell on her bottom. Grabbing hold of the bars he felt the adrenaline surge through his veins and he quickly broke through the wooden bars...setting himself free.

Nimbly stepping over the broken wood he glared at the now slightly frightened elleth below him. His looming form truly seemed menacing to Sulia at this moment. In one swift motion, he kneeled down beside her and grabbed her by the throat –not too hard, but hard enough to send his message across.

"I never, and I mean NEVER want to see you attempt to pulling something like that off again!!" His voice had started out in a venomous whisper and had risen to an ominous roar.

"I do NOT belong to you. I am NOT taking you to the ball. I will NOT kiss you. And I most certainly WILL NOT BIND WITH YOU!!!"

With that, he released her and stood up, straightening his shoulders and coming to his full height. Sulia scrambled up and not even bothering to dust the clinging dirt and leaves off of her dress, she ran off as fast as her stiletto-type heels could carry her, feeling Legolas's glare piercing her back as she retreated.

Once she was out of sight, Legolas let out a deep sigh and collapsed to the ground. He sunk down beside his former devise of imprisonment and put his head in his hands. He finally let out a scream of frustration and then leaned back on his hands. Tilting his head upwards he gazed at the beautiful and imposing trees. They seemed almost daunting in the twilight. Legolas had been so caught up in what was going on that he hadn't even noticed the sun sinking below the horizon. He slowly closed his eyes and let the crisp breeze run its gentle fingers across his face.

His mind began to replay what had happened earlier that day. Legolas contemplated what could have caused Náriël to play such a dirty and obscene practical joke. Shaking his head, he opened his eyes to the now dark world around him.

'This must have been her pay back for everything...and I thought the worst had been over after I told her the situation.'

Legolas scowled at this thought and got up. This was not going to do. He would not allow her to take away his dignity like that and get away with it.

'And after I helped save her pride before' he thought sourly.

This time, it was his turn. He would get back at her alright. There was no way he would allow her to have the final laugh. Looking about him Legolas was struck with an idea. He would have to work quickly though because Náriël would surely come to "visit" him in the morning.

'I wonder what her reaction would have been if she had discovered Sulia and myself in a ... compromising position?' He smirked to himself.

He did have to admit that Sulia was quite good looking, but he looked for more than good looks in an elleth. One with her personality would most definitely not do. With that last thought he bent down to pick up the partially broken cage. Since it was already damaged it seemed much easier to break now, and Legolas made short work of it. He flung the pieces about him and then turned and made his way back to the House of Elrond.

Quietly sneaking in, he crept into his room and removed his bow and quiver of arrows, along with his daggers, from their resting places. The weapons were strictly for protection during the night. Putting them on, he left the house, grabbing a small bowl from the kitchen on his way out. Legolas then made his way back to the forest.

On his way back to the broken cage he took a detour and searched the ground for a certain berry. All he had was the moonlight to go by –to his luck, it was a full moon, however, the towering trees blocked out much of the light. After a great deal of searching, he finally found a few bushes full of them. He gathered them into the bowl and then walked to the nearby stream. After he had filled the bowl with water until all of the berries were covered, he finally went back to the cage. There, he crushed the berries and mixed their juice with the water. This formed a sort of liquid that looked remarkably like blood. When he was done, he spilled some of it over a few of the broken pieces of wood and onto the ground around them. Legolas then walked back to the stream, letting some of the liquid spill here and there on his way.

Looking back at what he had done, he was quite proud to say that it really did look like there had been some sort of struggle and blood had been spilt. Now all he needed to do was trample some of the grass and make it look like someone was dragged to the stream.

Once done, Legolas climbed up into a tree where he could sleep the few hours that remained of the night. That particular tree also provided a good vantage point from which he could watch everything, yet be covered up by the foliage.

........

The next morning, Legolas awoke early and was surprisingly not tired at all, despite the fact that he slept very little and had had a previously very trying day. He sat in his tree and listened. Several minutes passed by and he finally heard what he was waiting for –humming. He knew it was Náriël. Looking at the path, she finally became visible.

Legolas could tell that she was not yet aware of what was in front of her. However, that quickly changed. Náriël stopped dead in her tracks and her eyes widened at the sight. The wooden cage was broken into pieces which were lying about everywhere. She then noticed what looked like blood. _Blood_.

"Oh my gosh."

She whispered this so quietly that Legolas was barely able to pick it up. He smirked to himself.

Náriël ran up to the shattered pieces and knelt down. Her eyes scanned the area and to her it was clear that some sort of struggle had occurred. If Legolas had been the victor, he would have come home, wouldn't he?

At that moment, something else caught her eye. She stood up and walked up to some bushes –broken branches and more blood. Náriël noticed that there was some sort of trail from the blood and she quickly began to follow it, only to discover it came to a dead end at the stream.

"No, no no no. Damn it!"

She turned and ran back to what once had been a cage. She frantically spun around in circles as if desperately trying to find something. Legolas noticed a look upon her face that he had never seen before –a look of terror, panic, and sadness.

"NO!"

As she exclaimed, she collapsed to her knees. She laid her head on the ground and began to weep. At this point, Legolas realized that his practical joke had gone too far –much, much too far.

'What had I been thinking last night?! Did I expect her to just laugh and go on about her business?! What have I done?'

With that thought he jumped down from his hiding place and slowly walked up to the distressed elleth who was sobbing on the ground. He knelt beside her and gently placed a hand upon her shoulder.

He spoke quietly, "Náriël?"

He heard her sharp intake of breath and she cautiously lifted her head. Her red eyes met the worried and apologetic ones of Legolas. He saw the relief spread across her face and then some emotion that he could not really place. Suddenly, he found himself with Náriël in his arms. She had flung herself at him, not like Sulia, but in sincerity. Legolas was so surprised by this action, he didn't know what to do. She had wrapped her arms around his waist and her head was now in the crook of his neck.

She was crying again.

Actually, it was more like hysterical sobbing. Carefully, he wrapped his strong arms around her and sat down. Hugging her close to him he rested his head upon hers and began to gently rock her.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I hadn't meant for it to get so out of hand."

Her crying slowly began to die down and he heard her sniffle as she rubbed her nose against his neck. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Why did this feel so comfortable, so right? It shouldn't. He wasn't allowed to feel this way with her...

* * *

**Jack-Sparrow-Lover:** yes, reviewers can be so damn mean and annoying sometimes . anyway, thanks for the review and im glad you do read the a/ns! Thanks so much.

**GoOrlandoItsurbirthday:** thanks! And you have quite and interesting sn! LOL!

**Eryn Galen:** thanks so much! And im glad you read the a/ns b/c many ppl don't. out of 14 reviews from chapter 8, only 5 told me that they actually read them!!! That makes me mad, esp since I even wrote that it was an important A/N (sighs) but what can I do? I cant make ppl read em. O well.

**Mary**: now by that comment, do you mean that chapter 8 sucked or that you were upset that I ended it where I did? o.O

**Princess Shadowcat:** your welcome! And im sorry that you didn't get any reviewers, that really sucks. Maybe if you revised it a bit and then tried again? (shrugs) anyway, thanks for the review!

**Jazmeanoo:** lol! Jittery huh? that's a funny way of putting it...but youre gonna have to wait a bit till I get there (winks)

**DesolateAznVamp**: thanks SO much! : )

**Sarah R:** thanks!

**ShopGirl1**: yep! Lol! And I don't know if that phase is gonna come soon b/c I got volunteer work all next week so im prob gonna be pretty tired when I get home...most likely a bit too lazy to write. Then again, if my reviewers are good and want it bad enough...and maybe if I get a few more that actually read my a/ns (which would make me happy) then I might just update a bit quicker!

**Elven at Heart:** thanks, and as far as the authors notes go, I totally agree with you, unfortunately, not all that many reviewers bother to read them. . as far as updates go, I don't know how quick im gonna update again b/c I got volunteer work all next week...but ill see what I can do : )

**DJ**: Chile huh? that's awesome! Im learning Spanish...and im not all THAT bad at it either lol! Anyway, thanks for the review!

**Austin B:** haha, if it was me, id kill her too! XP I agree with you about the reviewers thing. It just really pisses me off when ppl do crap like that. I hate ppl like that . anyway, thanks for the review!

**Icy Lullaby:** china?! That's so cool, lol. Makes me kinda sad that you cant review tho (sniffles) but I guess youll just have to catch up when you get back. I hope you have a fun trip tho! And yes, Náriël is wild!! Im really glad that you like that chapter so much. As far as Sulia goes, I think shes more than a BIT horny LMAO!!! I thought shed be a pretty fun character to write and a fun one for you guys to read so there ya go!

**Princess Alexiel**: it makes me happy that you like it so much! : ) anyway, its still gonna take a few chapters before they get together...I wanna drag it out a bit, more fun that way! Lol!


	10. Truce

Perplexities of Growing Up  
  
**Disclaimer**: I do not own any of the places or characters used here except for Náriël-I did invent her and if she resembles anyone else's character in anyway, I'm sorry- not done on purpose. Everything else belongs to Tolkien.  
  
**A/N:** YAY!!! THANK YOU ALL SOOOO MUCH! IM SO HAPPY! PRETTY MUCH EVERYONE READS THESE!! (happy dance) : )  
  
Chapter 10

* * *

_POV: Author_  
  
He closed his eyes and took a deep breath. Why did this feel so comfortable, so right? It shouldn't. He wasn't allowed to feel this way with her...  
  
All of a sudden, her crying came to a complete halt. Náriël lifted her head and looked up at Legolas. Her puffy red eyes clearly had confusion, and even a hint of anger written in them. Then, with all the force she could muster, Náriël shoved him away from her.  
  
She slowly stood up and dusted the dirt and bits of crushed leaves off of her gown. Her expression had changed to an almost stoic one, but Legolas could still read the anger in her eyes.  
  
'She's gotta work on that,' he thought.  
  
Standing up straight, she looked him straight in the eyes and spoke, "I cannot believe you just did that."  
  
Her voice held a certain amount of equanimity that almost unnerved Legolas. However, he quickly composed himself, and whilst still sitting on the ground where he had previously landed, he glared up at her.  
  
"You cannot believe I just did that?" He spoke calmly, yet he held a very dangerous undertone.  
  
"I admit that my joke went a little too far. However, YOUR little practical joke...I...I can't believe you'd stoop so low as to invite Sulia and her little posse to come and attempt to sexually harass me!!!"  
  
"What the hell are you talking about?! All I did was tell a small group of young elleths that you were thinking about asking one of them to the ball but were not sure which one...and that they would have to prove themselves for you...I never invited Sulia."  
  
"Well maybe you should have considered that she'd be there after our little encounter from before and considering one of the girls was her little sister!!! Or maybe that thought hadn't crossed your mind while you were busy scheming your idiotic plan!"  
  
Legolas was standing up now and his voice was at full volume. He was completely enraged and bellowing at the elleth before him. Náriël opened her mouth to retort, but he quickly interrupted her, not letting even one word in.  
  
"Not only that, but once she got here and got rid of the little ones...she...she..." He was so livid that he began to sputter.  
  
"SHE SEXUALLY HARRASED ME!!! IF IT WASN'T FOR THOSE DAMNED BARS SHE PROBABLY WOULD HAVE LITERALLY THROWN HERSELF AT ME!!!!!!!"  
  
Náriël could tell that he was now WAY past angry with her and a sense of guilt flooded her soul. She stared up at him with large, surprise filled eyes.  
  
"I-I..." She was at a complete loss for words and felt so awful that a familiar sting in the back of her eyes quickly consumed her. She really hadn't meant for it to go that far. She hadn't meant for that to happen at all...Sulia was never part of the plan and she most definitely hadn't wanted him to get violated.  
  
"You _what_?"  
  
"I didn't know that girl was her sister! I swear! I didn't know Sulia was going to be there!! I'm so sorry Legolas. I never wanted anything like that to happen. I promise..."  
  
"Then why would you do something like that?!"  
  
"I just wanted to get back at you!"  
  
"FOR WHAT?!"  
  
"FOR EVERYTHING!!!"  
  
Legolas was so exasperated now that he could no longer even find the strength to yell.  
  
"And what, _my lady,_ could I have done to incur this wrath of yours?" he raised an eyebrow in question.  
  
Náriël glanced up at him, but quickly cast her eyes downward and away from his piercing gaze. For some odd reason, which she just couldn't figure out for the life of her, her heart was beating so fast. She felt a blush creep up on her face under the scrutiny of his gaze.  
  
'How'd things get so damn out of hand?'  
  
She blinked rapidly in attempt to fight back the tear threatening to spill out from the corner of her left eye. Náriël slowly lifted her head back up when she heard a soft sigh come from Legolas's direction. She expected her eyes to meet with the hard and icy glower of the angry elf before her. Instead, she was met with two surprisingly warm and apologetic sapphires. She loved how vividly, yet deep blue his eyes could be.  
  
Their eyes didn't part for a second as Legolas slowly made his way to Náriël and gently took hold of the sides of her arms, which she had now protectively crossed. He opened his mouth to speak and his voice was now soft and calm.  
  
"Listen, Náriël. I know how frustrated you are with everything that has happened. And I have explained to you time and time again that I am not to blame. However, you should not be angry with your father either. He loves you very much and feels that he leaves you alone much too often. He wants you to grow up into a beautiful and proper lady. He doesn't want people to look down on you like Sulia had. The Lord wishes people to admire his daughter and for you to be cultured, to know how to defend yourself...he wants you to be able to enjoy life yet be safe. For those reasons he asked me to watch over you. So that I could teach you, yet make sure you were never in any harm when you went off on one of your little adventures."  
  
He let out a small laugh at that last part and then continued.  
  
"I do sincerely apologize for my joke and I accept your apology. But just promise me one thing? You'll put an end to all of this foolish behavior and attempt to actually be cooperative?"  
  
Sighing, she nodded her acquiescence.  
  
"Good. Now let's go back."  
  
With that, he soothingly rubbed her back and with a weak smile, walked past her and back down to the Last Homely House.  
  
_POV: Náriël  
_  
I felt a tingling sensation run through my body when he rubbed my back and a feeling of sadness swelled in my heart at the loss of his touch when he walked away.  
  
'Why the hell am I feeling this way? And about Legolas no less!! It must be from all the damn stress his stupid joke caused.'  
  
I scowled at that thought but quickly followed after him anyway. This was one odd day. We walked side by side in complete silence. I had a heavy feeling in my heart that I couldn't really describe. I didn't know what it was from or why I felt this way, but I felt it more every time I'd quickly glance at the strong and esoteric elf beside me. I just couldn't figure him out sometimes.  
  
Our first meeting suddenly came back to me and I remembered how closed off he had been. How unreadable. He still was a total enigma to me sometimes. On the rare occasion when he'd let his mask slip and I could look into his eyes and almost see his soul...I was engulfed in a wonderful feeling. It was like I could get lost in those deep pools of his and never want to find my way out. I find it pretty much impossible to describe the way he makes me feel sometimes.  
  
I shook my head to clear it of those thoughts of nonsense. Out of the corner of my eye I suddenly noticed that Legolas was giving me a queer look. I turned my head to look back at him.  
  
"Are you alright? You seemed totally out of it and were mumbling something I couldn't quite make out..."  
  
"Oh, I-I, I'm fine!"  
  
'What's wrong with me?! Can I not even speak properly any more?!'  
  
...........  
  
Upon our return, I was surprised to find my father was home early. He was busy talking with some other elves as I looked around bewildered. Our house was teaming with elves running in and out with various objects. It suddenly occurred to me that the ball was in two days!!  
  
"Náriël! Legolas! Where in Middle Earth have you two been all day?!"  
  
"Oh...we...we were just..."  
  
I had no idea what to tell him. Good thing Legolas cut in.  
  
"We had just gone out on a hike. I'm afraid it took a bit longer than we had expected, my Lord."  
  
"Oh. Well alright then. But I need both of your help now. Seeing as things have been going faster and better than expected, I decided to move the ball up a day. It's going to be tomorrow!"  
  
Our jaws dropped as we stared at my father in disbelief.  
  
'He can't be serious.'  
  
"But ada!! I don't even have a gown!!! And I'm sure Legolas doesn't have anything to wear yet either!!!"  
  
"Well actually...you were taking so long that day we went shopping that I got something then..."  
  
He trailed off as I glared at him.  
  
"Uuma dela, Náriël. I need your help right now...we'll figure that stuff out later."  
  
I nodded but was quite suspicious of the devious look on my father's face.

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry sorry that it took so long to update...and I know it's another short chapter but I wanted to end it here so that the next chapter can be the ball! YES!!! The ball is FINALLY here!! Lol. Anyway, I had my little volunteer thing all last week and I was SO tired, I had no time nor desire to write. Anyhoo, we'll see how long it takes me to get the next chapter up...I already have part of it written so maybe a bit faster. One other thing, I know that Legolas's speech was a bit corny, but it had to be given, im sorry you guys.   
  
........ 

**Uuma dela** = don't worry

........  
  
**Jack-Sparrow-Lover**: yep yep...I'd like to hug him too O.o  
  
**Princess Alexiel**: thanks! And yeah I know, im not gonna drag it out too much, but enough. As you can see, theyre starting to get some feeling for each other...and the balls coming up! That's gonna be fun to write!  
  
**DesolateAznVamp**: yes! Just a few more I guess...I got some interesting stuff planned for the ball...(winks)  
  
**Elven at Heart:** yeah, im sorry, this was a short one too! But I promise ill try to make the next one longer!!! I have more stuff to put into it...so yeah...I volunteered last summer at the hospital and then this summer I did at the JCC...that's the Jewish Community Center. The zoo huh? that sounds so awesome!!  
  
**F.A. Star Hawk:** Yeah! Id be pretty pissed off too! But I mean, I guess she was just so relieved that anger didn't really register in her brain. not at first anyway! Heh.  
  
**ShopGirl1**: yeah, Sulia sure got put in her place huh? and about the practical joke...you're right, it did turn some things around for them. Anyway...umm...that was chapter nine...this was chapter ten...I think you might have gotten some things a bit mixed up, lol. o.o anyhoo, thanks for the review! Unski: thanks so much!! Hey, I was wondering, what does ur sn mean? Is it Japanese? Your name perhaps? O.o  
  
**Crecy**: yeah they did, but it was necessary to get all of their frustrations out, and in the end it sorta brought them closer together too.  
  
**Princess Shadowcat:** im glad you like it so far and it makes me happy that you read the a/ns!! As far as them getting together...I think just a couple more...I got a few twists coming up, so that should keep you occupied and interested for a bit. Hehe  
  
**Jazmeanoo**: a little fast? Many ppl are saying that they want it to go faster! Theyre telling me to hurry up and get em together basically lol. anyhoo...I like the pace its going at so im not gonna really slow it or speed it up, sorry.  
  
**Angel13**: thanks  
  
**Green Eyed Elf Goddess:** thank you sooooooo much!!!! I love it when I get reviews like yours! Lol!!! as far as what Legolas said at the end of chapter nine...it's gonna make sense soon...probably in the next chapter. I have some interesting stuff planned for the ball!  
  
**GoddessDiana**: yay! Thanks a bunch!  
  
**Mary**: thank you, thank you (takes a bow)  
  
**Arrabella**: well im very glad you did find it! : ) I didn't want him to drag it out b/c then he'd seem sorta heartless for leading her on so much and playing with her that bad. I wanted him to seem a bit more passionate towards her. He felt bad b/c he hadn't expected her to take it to heart so much. So basically, Legolas realized that Náriël cared about him a lot more than he thought she did.  
  
**Lizzie in the Biz:** thanks!  
  
**Beagle**: yay!!! Im so happy ur reading this and that you like it!!! I know it didn't have much detail this time either, but the ball is coming up and im gonna make that chapter good (winks) I read Sabina my first chapter and she liked it and said that I had a fine command of language and that she prob couldn't write it that well! : ) anyhoo...to everyone else...THIS IS MY BEST FRIEND!!! WOO HOO!!! Lol! anyway, luv ya hun and thanks for the review!


	11. The Ball

Perplexities of Growing Up  
  
**Disclaimer**: I do not own any of the places or characters used here except for Náriël-I did invent her and if she resembles anyone else's character in anyway, I'm sorry- not done on purpose. Everything else belongs to Tolkien.  
  
**A/N:** Ok! The day of the ball is finally here!!! I mention some songs in here and if you have them, I think it would really add to the atmosphere of the night and help set the mood for the story if you'd listen to them while reading this!  
  
One other thing that I wanted to mention...about 30 ppl have put me on their author alert list, however, I have yet to see a review from almost half of them!!! I want to thank all of you wonderful ppl who do actually review...as for the rest of you: REVIEW! REVIEW! REVIIIIEEEWWW!!! PLEASE?!  
  
Ok...on to the story! –enjoy–  
  
Chapter 11

* * *

_POV: author_  
  
The rest of the evening was spent preparing for the ball/ party. Since it was an Elvin ball, it would be held outside in a large meadow. The anticipation of the event was building up in everyone. It soon became quite late and at this point, Náriël approached her father.  
  
"Ada, the ball is tomorrow evening and I must once again inform you that I have naught to wear."  
  
Elrond turned around and faced his daughter. Smiling at her he spoke:  
  
"I do believe I have told you that you need not worry about that. Everything will be taken care of tomorrow, you will see my child. All will be fine. Now, it is late and you must go rest."  
  
With that he kissed her on the forehead and left. Sighing defeat, Náriël slowly made her way up to her chambers.  
  
............  
  
The next morning, she awoke bright and early. Her stomach was filled with butterflies of excitement and she could hardly contain herself. The entire morning was spent adding the last touches to the now opulently decorated meadow.  
  
Grand tables and chair were set all around and the trees had beautiful lights wound about their branches. The spot picked out for the Elven orchestra had a sheer tent surrounding it. Later that night the flaps of the shimmering silver cloth would be drawn back so that the orchestra would be visible. Everything looked quite gorgeous.  
  
Evening was quickly gaining on them. Noticing this, and being quite satisfied with the arrangements, Elrond went to seek out his daughter.  
  
"Náriël, I do believe it is time for you to go and get ready. Cyrith will help you if you should need it...now go on."  
  
Náriël glanced back at the path leading to her home and noticed that Legolas was already making his way down it. She looked back at her father who was now busy talking with some other elves.  
  
'Yes, father is definitely back. The never ending enigma. Yet things always do seem to work out, he makes sure of it. I'm glad he seems to be himself again, because for the past few months he had been acting in a quite curious manner...'  
  
Shrugging to herself, she began walking home.  
  
............  
  
Upon arriving at the Last Homely House, she made her way up to her room and was met by none other than Cyrith, who immediately began talking excitedly about the upcoming event; but Náriël was only half listening. She was currently in her closet and searching for something to wear.  
  
'I don't have anything!! What is wrong with ada?! This is important...I can't just wear a riding gown!'  
  
_POV: Náriël  
_  
I was quite angry with my father at this point and I could vaguely make out Cyrith's non-stop chatter in the background...  
  
'I wonder what Legolas is going to wear'  
  
"Oh! One more thing my Lady, Lord Elrond wished that you wear this!"  
  
I nearly jumped at the sound of her voice right behind me.  
  
'How'd she manage to sneak up on me like that? Hmmm...my dad wants me to wear a certain dress eh? No wonder he was acting like that last night...I wonder what it looks like...'  
  
I twirled around to look at the garment in her hands. It was beautiful.  
  
The dress was a deep blue, not navy, brighter, but very rich...it was the color of the sky at twilight. The gown was silky on the bottom half and on the sleeves, from the elbow down. The top of the sleeves and from the waist up, the fabric was sort of velvety. It had a square cut neck and princess- flare sleeves. Right above the elbow, where the fabric changed, there was a gorgeous Elvin design embroidered in silver thread. Also, around the waist was the same design, in silver thread as well. It was in a V shape and one side at the bottom of the V extended slightly farther than the other. The silky fabric somewhat played tricks on the eyes; for depending on how the light fell on it, there seemed to be little gems such as diamonds hidden in it, though in actuality, there were none.  
  
I loved it.  
  
"Oh!" I let out a small gasp and I felt my eyes grow wide.  
  
"It's so gorgeous!" I breathed.  
  
Cyrith nodded at me and turned me around, helping me undress in my daze. Before I knew it, I was wearing my new dress and sitting on a chair as my hair was braided back and curled in the front.  
  
As I snapped back to reality, I quickly dismissed Cyrith with the pretense that she needed to go and get ready herself, for everyone in Imladris was invited to the celebration. She once again nodded in agreement and left.  
  
I stood up and examined myself in the mirror.  
  
The front of my hair was shorter than it was in back and these strands curled and were left loose. Half of my hair was braided back into two small French braids and the rest was let down. I took some jewel clips and twisted them into my hair. I then searched through my old jewelry box that my mother had left for me. Taking out a necklace, I secured it around my neck, fingering the jewel pendant. It was my favorite –the one I was wearing on the day I met Legolas.  
  
Next, I put on a pair of dangling silver earrings with sapphires at the end, prefect for this dress. I fixed my silver ring which had twisted so that it was upside down on my finger and examined myself once again. There was something still missing.  
  
Walking away from the floor to ceiling mirror, I went into my bathroom and pulled out a class box, placing it on the counter beside me. It was time I adorned my face...I wanted to surprise everyone...it was not that often that I wore any make up, (A/N 1.) and I was curious to find out what reaction Legolas would have.  
  
I lined my bottom lid with a thin smoky black line; for I thought it gave me more of a mysterious appeal. Then, taking out light, silvery-blue, sparkling eye shadow/liner I lined my top lid with several coats and smudged a bit less on the rest of my lids. Looking at myself I realized that it made my eyes look wider and more beautiful. Smiling to myself, I took out a dark wine red lipstick and applied it.  
  
Replacing the box in its appropriate place I stepped out of the bathroom and back to the larger mirror in my bedroom. As I stood before it, I hardly recognized the elleth it reflected. She looked pretty, mature, elegant...I almost didn't believe it was me. I scrutinized the make-up, making sure it wasn't too much and didn't make me look like a whore. I shuddered as Sulia came to mind.  
  
At that moment, I heard a soft knock on my door.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Náriël?"  
  
It was Legolas.  
  
"Are you ready? I'm heading out to the field now..."  
  
"Oh, I...can I just meet you there Legolas? I need a few more minutes..."  
  
"I can wait for you if you like."  
  
"No, no. That is not necessary. I can find my way just fine. I'll see you there."  
  
He did not speak for a few moments and I figured he was contemplating what I had just said. I then heard a reluctant "alright" and his soft footsteps proceeding down the hall.  
  
I took in a deep breath and decided that my make up was fine. After a few more moments of twirling and examining I finally resolved on coming down. I had not wanted Legolas to wait because I wanted to see the full effect of this 'new me' on him. The sun had set and in the twilight...under the light of the full moon and stars...that would be perfect. That was how I wanted him to see me.  
  
............  
  
_POV: author_  
  
Náriël quickly arrived in front of the meadow and just stood there a few moments, relishing its beauty. It was even more breath-taking at night. There were some stone stairs that led down to it and that is where she now stood. Glancing around she saw how gorgeous everything was. It was a clear night and the stars and full moon that blanketed the sky lit everything in an eerie, yet ethereal glow.  
  
The orange lunar flowers, (A/N 2.) which only bloomed at night most definitely helped to add to this effect. They lined the entire back of the meadow and partially on the right. Also on the right was a small path which led to a curved bridge. It was partially hidden by the trees but Náriël new well what lied beyond that...it was one of her favorite places to go at night. The path leading away from the bridge was lined with more lunar flowers, but not orange like the ones in the field...they were a dazzling baby blue. At the end of the path, there was a small waterfall. It wasn't very large at all, but it was absolutely stunning at night, for all around it blue and orange and red lunar flowers grew. They caused the surrounding water to reflect their light and beauty and it was all so mystifying that one could just sit there and dream, casting their soul to be in another place altogether. It was completely captivating.  
  
To the left of Náriël, there were some more orange lunar flowers, but not quite as abundant. However, through the trees one could make out one of the largest waterfalls in Imladris. It was far enough away so that its roar was not deafening, but close enough so that one could see the variously colored lunar flowers spread out among its ledges, lighting up the water as it came tumbling down.  
  
Náriël quickly picked up the sound of one of her favorite melodies playing and as she scanned the room, she saw Legolas. He was standing there with a wine glass in one hand and something else in another that she could not make out.  
  
The sounds of the Moonlight Sonata (A/N 3.) urged her to move forward. She continued to stare at Legolas, hoping he would look back at her. She picked up the front of her dress and slowly began walking down the long stairs. Náriël had pulled her shoulders back and held her head high so that she carried herself with grace and dignity.  
  
Her eyes flickered back to Legolas and at that moment they locked with his. The Moonlight Sonata continued to sound in the background but all she cared about was the look on his face. He did not blink and his face was almost expressionless. There was a hint of awe and his gorgeous eyes were slightly wider than usual. She noticed him put down his glass and slowly make his way towards her. She still could not tell the other object in his hand, which was now partially hidden behind his back.  
  
..........  
  
Legolas stood there enjoying the beautiful sounds of the Moonlight Sonata when he felt a pair of eyes on him. Looking around, his eyes locked with those of Náriël. It took him a few moments to recognize her. She was so majestic and beautiful. His breathing became slightly hurried and shallower. He couldn't blink or break their gaze.  
  
He noticed how the light from the stars and the moon blanketed her, giving her even more of an ethereal glow than most elves. He noticed how her dress grazed the steps behind her as she walked. He noticed her wide eyes and slightly parted and lush lips.  
  
'She looks so pure....so innocent...'  
  
At that moment, nothing else seemed to exist. All the other elves were a blur. It was just the two of them and he could barely make out the music in the background anymore.  
  
Legolas was drawn to her. 

He set down his wine glass, which he just noticed had been slightly shaking in his hand, and made his way over to her.  
  
Neither one broke eye contact the entire time. They were both completely entranced by each other.  
  
Náriël noticed how his step was in time with hers. She noticed how his black cloak gently swayed behind him as he walked. He had dark gray leggings and his tunic was a deep, deep, velvety red (think of the cloak Haldir wore during the battle of Helm's Deep in TTT –that color) with silver embroidery. He had his hair braided back...it was more complex than usual and quite beautifully done. She wondered for a brief second if he had done it himself. She then noticed the thin silver band twisted into various curves that adorned his forehead.  
  
Náriël could hardly breathe.  
  
She finally reached the last step and at that moment, Legolas finally reached Náriël. She stepped down and they just stood there. Suddenly, Legolas finally snapped out of his daze upon hearing a nearby elf's laughter.  
  
"Lle maa vanima," his whisper was so quiet that the wind gently carried away the sound of his voice, for only Náriël's ears to hear.  
  
"I..." but before she could really respond, he took his right hand from behind his back and presented her with a gorgeous, scarlet rose. It seemed to her that it was glowing ever so slightly.  
  
She looked up at Legolas, but his face was once more a mystery to her. As she took the rose from his hand, their fingers brushed slightly and she felt a small blush creep up on her face.  
  
This of course did not go unnoticed by Legolas, who let a small smile grace his lips. Náriël gazed at him and suddenly she found herself lost in his stunning orbs. It was moments like this that she loved. When he didn't hide himself.  
  
Legolas noticed that his breathing and heart rate had pretty much gone back to normal, but no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't seem to tear himself away from this beautiful young elleth before him.  
  
Taking in a deep breath, he turned so that they were now standing side by side, with Náriël on his left. He held out his arm for her. She smiled and thanked him as they linked arms walked back to the party.  
  
.............  
  
The Lord Elrond sat closely watching the scene that was unfolding before his knowing eyes. He only half heard what the elf beside him was saying, but it didn't matter, for there were others captivated by his story.  
  
He, on the other hand, was captivated by something else.  
  
'She really has finally grown into that elegant, beautiful and dignified elleth that I knew she would someday be.'  
  
He smiled a bittersweet smile to himself.  
  
Elrond quickly noticed the young Elven Prince walking towards his daughter with a total air of equanimity. After carefully observing the exchange between the two, he was reminded of the first time he met his now deceased wife. Taking a shaky breath, he sighed to himself.  
  
He had been monitoring the two for the past few months, and this was the moment that Elrond knew he had nothing to feel perturbed about. Although they did not yet realize it completely, Elrond now clearly saw that it was as if they had been made for each other.  
  
............  
  
The two sat beside each other and talked for a little while. Soon though, Legolas stood up.  
  
"Will you dance with me?" as he asked this of Náriël, he stretched out his hand to her.  
  
She looked from his hand to his face and graciously accepted. The two of them danced a little while, and Náriël had to admit, even if it was only to herself, Legolas was an amazing dancer!  
  
After a couple of dances, Legolas became engaged in a heated, but friendly debate with two fellow elves. Náriël took this opportunity to leisurely walk around the perimeter of the meadow, gently fingering the lunar flowers as she passed them by. She soon came to the bridge, and glancing around, saw that no one had noticed her there. So, she decided to take a short walk.  
  
Once Náriël had reached the middle of the bridge, she stopped and gazed down into the brook below her. The water sparkled under the moonlight and the sound of it rolling over the stones was quite soothing. Lifting her head back up, she saw that she was indeed well hidden from the festivities going on just beyond the trees. Náriël suddenly felt someone else's presence and she snapped her head back to the front of the bridge.  
  
It was none other than..._Aniolad_.  
  
_POV: Náriël  
_  
He was the last elf I had expected to see, for we hadn't really seen much of each other since the fiasco with my father. But as he stood there, I didn't feel all that happy, nor excited. Honestly, I was a bit unnerved at the lascivious look upon his face.  
  
He walked up to me, his steps were sure and arrogant; he reminded me something of a predator about to pounce on his prey. I do believe that any other time I would have found this quite sexy.  
  
'Especially if it was Legolas...WAIT. WHAT?!'  
  
I was so caught up in my thoughts that I hadn't noticed how close Aniolad was now to me. I could feel his hot breath on my neck and his left arm snaked its way around my waist. He quickly bent his head down and as he pulled me closer to him, he kissed me with such exigency that I suddenly had the urge to push him away from me.  
  
'Why do I suddenly feel this way? It's not like I have never kissed him before. I mean, he's the ONLY ONE I've ever kissed before...I know that he is usually pretty forceful. Yet...I just wish I was kissed softly and with a sense of...love and compassion. I wonder what that would feel like...'  
  
.....

_Making out with people_

_I hardly know or like _

_I can't believe what I do, late at night_

_I wanna know what it's like _

_On the inside of love _

_I'm standing at the gates _

_I see the beauty above_

.....  
  
He kissed me harder, slipping his tongue inside my mouth, and I could feel the desperation in his kisses...he pushed me against the railing and slightly ground into me. I decided to just give in and I began to tentatively kiss him back.  
  
I don't know how long we were there but he was now seriously groping me and a feeling of uneasiness was gripping my stomach. I suddenly wanted him to stop. I wanted him to go away. I wanted Legolas.  
  
Then, as if my prayers had been answered, I heard the voice I had grown to adore.  
  
"Náriël?" his voice was solicitous and I suddenly realized that he sounded like he had been worried about me.  
  
As we broke apart, Aniolad stared at Legolas with spite and disgust. I looked up the strong elf and my breath was taken away...the moonlight enveloped him from behind and he looked so regal and absolutely majestic standing there. Noticing the look he had on his face, I was consumed by guilt for my actions; I had, after all, come here with Legolas...and now he found me kissing another.  
  
His face slightly portrayed hurt and a great deal of disappointment. His eyes were once again a shrouded mystery to me, and I felt awful.  
  
"Come Náriël."  
  
With those simple words, I quickly scampered away from Aniolad and past Legolas, relieved that he had come when he did. I turned to look back at a very displeased Aniolad and then, without saying a word, Legolas spun around and stormed off past me with his raven cloak billowing behind him. He gestured for me to quickly follow and I did, though I had to practically run in order to keep up with him.  
  
As we walked back to the party, Legolas turned to me. There was almost a sort of fire in his eyes, and they were darker than usual. I quickly spoke before he could say anything.  
  
"Legolas....please, don't tell my father about this...please?"  
  
Ok, maybe that wasn't exactly what I had wanted to say...I was thinking something more along the lines of 'Legolas, I'm so sorry about what happened, I didn't even want to kiss him, and I was so relieved when you came!' Nevertheless, my pride would not allow me to voice this.  
  
Legolas now looked more displeased than ever.  
  
"Náriël, it is not my business what you do when you are alone." He had now stopped walking and stood facing me. There was a great deal of acerbity in his voice as he went on.  
  
"I cannot stop you and I am no snitch. I do, however, want you to know that I do not like that elf at all. Something about him makes me uneasy and it greatly displeases me that you would put yourself in such a position. It worries me...the things he is capable of. You are still young and naïve; you probably can't even imagine what I am speaking of... (sigh) I just want you to seriously think about what I am saying here. And you know, it's sometimes a good thing to listen to your father; actually, it's almost _always_ a good thing to do so. The point is, we are _not_ telling you all of this for nothing. We aren't doing it to be mean. We have our reasons, you must understand, and it would leave my heart at ease to know that you are not with him. However, the ultimate decision is yours. I just want you to keep our opinions in mind and not completely cast them aside."  
  
With that, he turned and left me standing alone on the edge of the meadow.  
  
A feeling of longing seized me and at that moment, I wanted nothing more than to be held in the security of his arms. I didn't want him to be mad at me or disappointed with me. I didn't want him to hide himself again. I wanted him to look at me the way he had when I first came down those stairs...

.....

_I'm on the outside of love _

_Always under or above _

_I can't find my way in _

_I try again and again_

_I'm on the outside of love _

_Always under or above _

_Must be a different view _

_To be a me with a you... _

.....

* * *

**A/N:**  
  
1. I know that elves probably don't really wear make up EVER...but I just thought it would kind of add to the story...you know, Náriël wanted to look pretty for Legolas and it's sort of like the way a girl might act while getting ready to go to a dance where she knew her crush would be.  
  
2. I have no idea if lunar flowers actually exist or not, but it would be AWESOME if they did! : )  
  
3. I know they prob. wouldn't know the Moonlight Sonata, but I absolutely love it and I thought it would be quite appropriate to set the mood. 

…..

**Lle maa vanima** = You look so beautiful

…..

Wow! I think this is the longest chapter I've written so far!!! But I have to say, it's my favorite so far too!! I hope you all liked it and enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I have a question tho, I was having a conversation with a friend about whether or not I had any male reviewers...so if you are indeed a male, would you please let me know in ur review? An odd request, I know, but now I really AM curious! lol.  
  
**BTW! The lyrics are from a song called "inside of love" by Nada Surf –great song–**  
  
As far as the poll goes, I decided that I definitely am going with my original idea, and I think that's going to come into play, or at least start unfolding, in the next chapter. 

**Jack-Sparrow-Lover: **thanks! And yeah it is fun to write! (grins)

**Ara7**: thanks so much…I thought I mighta screwed up w/ the speech, but I guess not

**Priestess of Shadows:** sus? That's so cute! Haha!! Im really glad that you like the story so much, it makes me quite happy : )

**The Luckiest:** hehe…the other guy…well, now you know what happened to him huh? and he just might show up again (wink wink)

**Jazmeanoo**: haha! Im not gonna speed it up…and his chest…oooo yaaa….orli…shirtless…naked in troy…o what a sight! O.O the whole song thing is pretty funny, ive nv heard it before tho. Or at least I don't think I have…who sings it?

**Princess Shadowcat**: yes she is!! : ) well, her father just had a little surprise for her. I thought it was kinda a sweet gesture from him…I suppose it gives some ppl the impression that hes trying to set up Náriël with Legolas lol!

**Princess Alexiel:** yes! I LOVED writing this chapter! I hope you enjoyed it!

**GoOrlandoItsurBirthday:** thanks thanks!

**ShopGirl1**: lol, about the blooper, tis ok, it happens. Anyhoo, I thought that it'd be a good idea if they managed a truce, at least somewhat of a truce, before the ball…so yeah…

**Michelle Moonshine:** well good, im glad you think so! And I want you to know that I really appreciate your enthusiasm!! : ) its great when I get reviewers like you! So thanks a bunch! So thanks a bunch! Also, thanks for recommending my story! That was awesome!

**Green Eyed Elf Goddess:** hehe yeah, Legolas was just a _bit_ pissed of eh? hope you liked this chapter!

**Kirsten-Inwe:** ok, ok!

**White Roses For Me:** about Elrond, I know…I think ur right that he should be more refined, but im finding it a bit hard to portray him that way…but I'll work on it. As far as modern slang and curse words…well, im not gonna make up Elvish ones! LOL! and as I've said to other reviewers, I wanted to make them a bit easier to relate to and show that they too aren't absolutely perfect. I mean, if they were, it would make for a very boring love story. So im sorry, but that stuff is prob gonna stay. o.o;; but I will try to use it a bit less often.

**Austin B**: I know! it makes me so happy that im getting all these reviews!!! As far as who Legolas was gonna take to the ball…well he kinda _had_ to take Náriël…not much choice there, lol.

**Elven at Heart:** thanks! Hope you liked the ball!

**Icy Lullaby:** YAY! You know what? I love dresses too! And skirts! They make me feel so feminine and sexy! not to mention that I get quite a bit of attention from the guys (winks) LOL!!!!

**Silvermane1**: thanks…umm…do u ever leave more than one-word reviews? -.-;; lol

**Lexi**: thanks so much! Its nice to hear that!

**Crecy**: haha! Well…ur gonna have to wait just a bit longer before Legolas really DOES put his hands somewhere else…if you know what I mean (wink wink)

**Beagle**: Thanks so much for the review, but you do realize that you left it for the wrong chapter right? o.o;; lol! As far as the "raw style" of writing, im trying, im trying! And I hope that you did think that the ball and Náriël's dress were _prettyful_. Lol!!

**PenMaster6000**: well im VERY happy that ur friend told you about it! Always great to get new reviewers! Leggy huh? ive heard that one before, hehe. Anyhoo, im glad you love the story. Thanks for the review!


	12. Memories

Perplexities of Growing Up

**Disclaimer**: I do not own any of the places or characters used here except for Náriël-I did invent her and if she resembles anyone else's character in anyway, I'm sorry- not done on purpose. Everything else belongs to Tolkien.

**A/N:**

OMG! Im sooooooo sorry I haven't updated in forever!!! I started school, my junior yr, and ive been completely swamped w/ work!!! It's absolutely insane!!! I've been wanting to write so much and I just couldn't find the time, I hope I haven't lost any readers/reviewers! o.o once again, im so sorry!

Chapter 12

* * *

_POV: Legolas_

_---------_

_I don't think you notice_

_when I can't reach out_

_I guess you're waiting_

_on somebody else again_

_Oh, so much for talking_

_It's all been said before_

_I'm hearing something_

_but I wish you'd just say more_

_But you're going off again_

_when I try to just hold on_

_But you're going off_

(Finding Me by Vertical Horizon)

--------

A heavy feeling hung over my heart and weighed it down as if it were strapped to a boulder. I couldn't figure out why this bothered me so much. Why did it upset me so much?

'Because you know that elf is no good'

I scowled to myself as I made my way through the thickets and to the large waterfall on the other side. I needed some time to think; some time for myself.

'What is this elleth doing to me? I shouldn't be feeling this way...I have no right...'

I wouldn't let that thought continue. No. Yet, I can't help having it flit through my mind. I quickly felt a familiar pang of sorrow creep into my heart as an image flashed before my eyes.

'No, I'm not going to do this to myself again.'

Taking a deep breath I decided to return to the festivities, hoping to keep my mind occupied there. For the rest of the night I tried to avoid both Náriël and Aniolad; which turned out to be quite easy, seeing as Náriël was trying to avoid me, and Aniolad left altogether.

----------

The next few days passed by quickly, yet rather awkwardly. I wouldn't exactly have said that Náriël and I were on speaking terms. However, about a week after the ball, she finally approached me.

I was sitting outside on a bench, just reflecting and indulging in life in general. It was so peaceful that all I wanted was to freeze the moment. The air was thick and heavy, a summer storm hung threateningly in the air. I didn't mind though, I loved the rain in the summer. I loved to walk in the cool showers when it was warm...it made everything around me appear in such vivid greens

She stepped up behind me, breaking my train of thought. I knew it was her without even turning around. There was something about her presence that I just always recognized.

"Náriël."

"Legolas..."

She seemed slightly surprised and taken aback by the fact that I knew it was her. I smiled a small half-smile at that. Closing my eyes I took a deep breath, taking in the scent of the pre-rain air. The storm was going to break any minute...it was so heavy I could smell it.

She started again.

"Legolas...I'm sorry about the way I acted at the ball...and...I-I'm sorry I have been avoiding you. But I just, I thought you were angry with me, and didn't really mind my not talking to you."

"So what suddenly changed your mind about how I probably felt?"

I wasn't really angry, and I most certainly would have rather talked to her than avoided talking to her, but I was just curious to hear this.

"Well, I thought it probably best I ..._ask_ first."

I spun around so that I had my right arm draped over the back of the bench with my upper body facing Náriël. I couldn't help but grin at what she just said.

_POV: Náriël_

I could see the playfulness twinkling in his eyes and a grin spread over his soft, yet slightly angular features. Relief immediately ran throughout my body. I really had felt awful the entire week after the ball.

I gave him a smile in return and picked up my dress so that I would not trip over the long skirts. I walked to the other side of the bench and sat down beside him. Neither of us spoke for a while. We just sat there in a comfortable silence, and we were content.

"Legolas?"

"Yes?"

He turned to me and I was once again amazed by how brilliantly blue his eyes were, especially against the darkening sky. It was about to pour, I could feel it. But I didn't care; I was happy just where I was.

"I know I have been a pain most of the summer, and I'm sorry. Half of the summer is already over, and I feel like I've gotten no where. I really haven't done anything this summer when I look back."

"What are you saying? You actually want me to teach you something?"

He raised an eyebrow at me. He looked absolutely adorable.

I couldn't help but giggle in response, which surprised me because I don't giggle very often! He raised both eyebrows at this and I attempted to stifle my laughs. Nodding in response, I voiced myself.

"Yes, I suppose that's what I'm saying...that is, if you still want to teach me?"

He slightly smiled before responding.

"Of course I do."

----------

The next month was spent mostly outdoors. Legolas taught me everything from archery, to sword play, to what it felt like to be treated as a lady. He was always a gentleman around me and I soon found myself conscious of things that I had never really been conscious of before.

I wanted to look my best when I saw him, and I even ended things with Aniolad. Legolas helped me understand that I didn't belong with him, whether he realized it or not. Before I broke it off completely with Aniolad, I found myself comparing the two, and Legolas would always win.

I smiled to myself at that thought. I had been spending so much time with Legolas lately. My feelings quickly became jumbled up and confusing.

'Am I falling for him?'

I shook my head.

'No, not Legolas. He's like...my best friend now...and that's it.'

I furtively stole a glance at the handsome elf beside me. It was a beautiful day in late August. Warm, but one could tell that summer was coming to a close. Some of the trees had leaves that were already changing and a cool breeze swept its fingers through our hair.

This morning, we had decided on a long walk. We actually thought we'd spend the day in the woods. Not for training purposes...not for riding lessons, but just to enjoy ourselves. I heaved a sigh. Yes, summer was ending. And that meant that Legolas would be leaving soon. He would be going home.

'When will I see you again?'

"Is something wrong?"

His deep voice broke through my thoughts. I was probably giving him a sad look of longing –how embarrassing. I shook my head in the negative and stared in front of me. We continued to walk in silence.

It was getting close to midday when I noticed a small path diverging to the right. It seemed so inviting. Something about the path drew me to it and urged me to follow it –to see where it would lead me.

I turned and it was as if the path were enchanted. It seemed that autumn had already set in. The earth below was covered in scattered leaves of gold and red. A small breeze passed through, sending shivers down my spine despite the strong sun overhead. I could vaguely make out Legolas following me from behind.

_POV: Author_

Legolas saw Náriël turn and go down a small path. Without saying a word, he followed. Something about where they were going seemed to call forth a sort of déjà vu . He felt like he was walking in a daze. His heart had a deep foreboding feeling settle about it. Yet he couldn't help himself; his feet seemed to be moving of their own accord. His curious nature won over and he gave in to the urge to keep moving forward.

He walked on, several paces behind Náriël. Legolas suddenly stopped.

He couldn't breathe.

It was as if some one had seized him by the throat and was crushing his lungs...cutting off his air supply. He felt like he was going to vomit. Black spots began to form before his eyes. He wanted to cry out but couldn't. A familiar panic spread through his body as memories flashed before him. How was it that he hadn't noticed until it was too late? He never should have come back here.

* * *

**A/N:**

Once again, so sorry for taking forever, but I should warn you guys that my updates are gonna be slow now (sighs). AP classes suck X( please just bear with me! o.o;; and don't forget to REVIEW!!!! Also, I know this is kind of a short chapter, but I guess its more of a set up chapter. It's prob gonna take me a while to do updates from now on, but I feel like ive gotten back into the groove of writing, so ill try my best to make the next update pretty quickly...maybe every weekend if im lucky. Anyhoo....please reviewwwww!!!!!!

ONE OTHER THING! Just out of curiosity, does anyone know the technoish song called "Children" by Robert Miles? I LOVE the song, its absolutely gorgeous and I was thinking about using it instead of the Moonlight Sonata but I decided the later fit better. Anyway, im thinking about using Children in another chapter later on, but I wanna know if anyone actually knows it or not, cause if no one knows it, it'll kinda be pointless for me to put it in.

**Michelle Moonshine**: well, I am going w/ my original idea, and honestly, I think I like it better myself! lol. anyhoo, thanks so much for your enthusiasm! It makes me so damn happy! LoL!!! my story is taking a twist to the more angsty side now...so I guess there wont be anymore cute moments like for a little bit. But don't worry, ill make it good, theres gotta be a bit of drama ya know?

**Mush**: sorry, I decided to go w/ the depressed Legolas. I think it'll add some good drama to the story...and I like reading fanfics with some drama. Well, I hope you like it anyway.

**Unski: **I completely agree with you! And as far elves feeling things deeper...well, you'll see soon enough just how right you are.

**Beagle**: yay!! (does happy dance) that chapter was so fun to write! Thanks so much!!!

**Eryn Galen**: thanks, and sorry you had to wait so long

**CrzySxyCoolPirateOfMirkwood**: hehe, don't worry bout it, im a total hopeless romantic myself (grins)

**TK**: hey hey! Thanks for the review!!!

**The Luckiest**: (huge ass grin) thanks SO much! I think im gonna add music stuff like lyrics or w/e for most of my chapters now just because I think music can really set the mood ya know? anyhoo, hope you enjoyed this chapter!

**Crecy**: thanks! Sorry it took me so long to update...grrrr...school... -.-

**ShopGirl1**: thanks so much! Im really glad you like Náriël's character. To answer your question tho, yes you are gonna find out about Legolas's past and why he acts the way he does sometimes. You'll also begin to understand why he sometimes says the things that he does...like when he made the comment about not being allowed to like Náriël a few chapters back. As far as the quote that you put in goes, that was more of him saying that shes kinda ignorant and naïve...like she doesn't even consider what Aniolad could really do to her if he wanted to (ie rape her or something). Anyway, to give you a hint of what is to come, ill just say that I have a lot of foreshadowing in my writing. Esp. concerning things that Legolas tends to say.

**RubyLoamsDown**: hehe, im really glad you like my story so much. It makes me happy to know that ppl actually enjoy reading my writing! : )

**Tiger6**: thanks! I want a dress like that too! Haha. About the spelling...I guess I switch because im not quite sure which one is correct -.-;; (I think its Elven) sorry.

**Elven at Heart**: YAY! Thank soooo much! I agree! I think ch. 11 was one of my best ones so far and its my favorite so far too! And she had to kiss the other elf because stuff like that happens. Shes still sorta confused, or at least she WAS confused. Besides, I like drama LOL! anyway, Aniolad still has a role to play in the story, so were not rid of him yet. Hehe.

**Zurgiea**: thanks for adding me to ur favorites! And ur right, it is just a story and I think that those people shouldn't read fanfiction, especially if all theyre gonna do is bash it. Im not quite done with the Silmarillion cause I just haven't had time to read. Ive got all this crap to read for school (sighs) anyway, I really liked the LOTR trilogy and the Hobbit. I've gotta start the HP series now hehe.

**WindSorceress**: hah, this chapter was def. not much happier huh? the next few chapters aren't gonna be very happy. In fact, I think that the next chapter will probably be one of the saddest ones in my story. Maybe even the next two. But don't worry, things have a tendency of working out...I believe in fate (smiles) now then...Legolas wearing that...I can totally imagine that myself (sighs) and it's a VERY nice image. lol ya know, I kinda want a dress like Náriël's myself o.o

**Icy Lullaby**: HEY! I resent being called a manwhore! XP lol! so I like attention...what can I say? Heh, actually, I used to be VERY shy myself...anyway, im glad that everyone seemed to really like the dress and that moment btwn Náriël and Legolas...I mean, while I was writing it I was actually listening to the Moonlight Sonata just to get myself in the mood of the story...and while I was rereading it too and I was totally entranced with the music and stuff. Gosh id love to have a moment like that...im sucha hopeless romantic! Lol!

**Green Eyed Elf Goddess**: yep, it sure is! (grins) hope you liked this chapter

**Lazydoll06**: so good to hear from you again! Thought id lost you for a while there lol!

**Austin B**: thanks a lot! I put so much into that one scene between Legolas and Náriël. I wanted it to...magical I guess you could say...I mean, I could see it all playing out in my mind as I was writing (dreamy sigh)

**Jack-Sparrow-Lover**: heh I guess shes finally realizing her feelings...or somewhat admitting to them...at least to herself anyway.

**Maxie**: a new reviewer! Yay! Glad you like the story, sorry that the update took forever.


	13. Sudden Retreat

Perplexities of Growing Up

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the places or characters used here except for Náriël-I did invent her and if she resembles anyone else's character in anyway, I'm sorry- not done on purpose. Everything else belongs to Tolkien.

**A/N:  
**AHHHH!!! I haven't updated in like 3 months! OMG. Im soooo sorry! I keep telling myself I need to go and update and then something comes up and I just don't have time! o.o;; I know I know, bad excuse…but I really haven't had much time. Ok, anyway, on with the story!

**Ch. 13: Sudden Retreat**

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((It was as if someone had seized him by the throat and was crushing his lungs…cutting off his air supply. He felt like he was going to vomit. Black spots began to form before his eyes. He wanted to cry out but couldn't. A familiar panic spread through his body as memories flashed before him. How was it that he hadn't noticed until it was too late? He never should have come back here.))

_POV: Author_

Tears began to spill forward as he fell to his knees, clutching the ground in desperation. His eyes were stinging and as he looked up, the small and once beautiful village blurred before him. He brought his head to the ground as if praying to the Valor.

'How could I have been so stupid? So blind? I had no right to betray her memory like that…'

…

Reminisce sometime the night they took my friend  
Try to black it out, but it plays again  
When it's real feelings hard to conceal  
Can't imagine all the pain I feel  
Give anything to hear half your breath  
I know you're still livin' your life after death

…

Legolas could no longer control himself; he let the sobs rake through his body.

Náriël spun around at the disturbing sounds behind her. Her eyes widened in fear as she ran to his side. Her heart was beating in her throat and she began to panic.

"Legolas! What's wrong?! What happened?!"

He could hear the urgency in her voice and a new pang of guilt hit him. He couldn't do this. It wasn't right. Legolas shut his eyes tightly to hold back the tears. Slowly bringing his head up to meet her gaze, he saw the desperation and fear in her deep sea-like orbs. A wry smile graced his face as he shakily pushed himself up into a sitting position.

…

Every step I take  
Every move I make  
Every single day  
Every time I pray  
I'll be missing you

Thinking of the day  
When you went away  
What a life to take  
What a bond to break  
I'll be missing you

(I'll be missing you by Puff Daddy)

…

For a brief moment, Náriël saw a look of longing and regret sweep over his gentle features as he quickly gazed behind her and back at the ruins of the village. She didn't understand what was happening and it confused her to no end when the Elvin prince suddenly stood up, and without a word, he turned and left. His face was one more adorned with the unreadable mask which he wore when they first met; he had closed the curtain to his soul yet again.

Legolas squared his shoulders and straightened up as he walked. His relaxed demeanor had vanished and he now walked with an air of dignity and authority about him. He knew what he had to do.

He could no longer stay in Rivendell.

………….

Náriël stood up and brushed her dress off. Gazing after Legolas she saw him retreating within himself. Sadness consumed her she remembered how he had opened up to her; how relaxed he was; how happy he seemed. The elf she saw now was ridged with formality. He exuded grace and confidence, which, she had to admit, was rather attractive. She was drawn to him like a moth to a flame. However, she knew it was something of a façade – he was hiding within himself.

'Inside, there must be great turmoil. I wish I knew what was wrong…'

With that thought, the young daughter of Elrond sped after Legolas.

…………

Legolas swept down the stairs of the Last Homely House, his cloak billowing in deep shades of green behind him. His striking horse stood waiting outside for him; his belongings were already packed onto it.

Slipping on his riding gloves, he stepped into Elrond's meeting room. The wise Elvin lord looked up gravely from his studies.

"Are you sure Legolas?"

"Yes."

Elrond nodded as he continued, "Well, if this is your choice, I am not going to stop you. Though I dearly wish you would tell me what has happened that would make you take off like this."

Legolas sighed, "I'm sorry. I really should be going now, for my journey back to Mirkwood is not a short one."

Elrond held out his hand towards the door, inviting Legolas to go first. The prince slowly gazed around as he exited his summer's haven. Outside, Náriël stood waiting beside his horse. A melancholy aura surrounded her and she looked up into the beloved face she had come to adore. There was nothing there for her to see; she could no longer read his eyes and a familiar frustration ran through her veins.

"Why are you doing this?!" she suddenly ejected.

Legolas gave her a weak smile and stepped forward, pulling her into a gentle embrace.

"I'm sorry." He whispered into her ear.

Náriël felt her eyes starting to sting in back as tears hung over the edge, ready to trickle down at any moment. Legolas took her hand and, like the gentleman he was, gave it a feather-soft kiss. Memories of the ball came flowing over Náriël in a torrent. She couldn't stand anymore of this. She felt cold and immediately missed his touch as he left her and mounted his stallion.

With one more glance at Rivendell, Legolas turned around and galloped off into the woods from whence he had appeared those few months ago. He sped away fast as lightning and before she knew it, Náriël was staring at an empty path.

'Only several months…it feels like it has been years since he first came…and now he's gone forever…'

With that last crushing thought, she too turned, and slowly walked back into the Last Homely House.

* * *

**  
A/N:  
**YYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Finals are over!!! I'm passing AP Calc (breathes sigh of relief) ok, anyway…now that it's finally winter break I hope to get a bit more writing done…however, please don't be mad if I cant get a lot out b/c I still have work to do and I have to study for the SATs -.-

I really want to thank all of those wonderful reviewers asking me to update. It let's me know that you guys really like my fanfic and actually enjoy reading it…its motivation, ya know? (grins) anyway, im sorry that this chapter was so short, but im already working on the next chapter…I just wanted this to be as a sort of reintroduction and get you guys interested in the story again. Please don't forget to review cause I got almost 50 ppl that have put my on the author alert and I have most definitely NEVER gotten that many reviews at once! lol.

hey, sorry i didnt do any response stuff this time...i wanted to hurry up and get this posted. i promise to do it next chapter tho! once again, thanks to all my great reviewers! i luv ya guys (and ladies)!


	14. A Haunting Past, Part 1

Perplexities of Growing Up

**Disclaimer**: I do not own any of the places or characters used here except for Náriël-I did invent her and if she resembles anyone else's character in anyway, I'm sorry- not done on purpose. Everything else belongs to Tolkien.

**A/N:  
**Oh wow, I am soooo sorry for not updating in so long! I do promise that there's no way im gonna abandon this fic! School was absolutely crazy but hey, I survived AP calc! and actually passed! Woo hoo. Plus I had the SATs and all that crap and honestly, I just really didn't have much motivation to write . o.o;;I really do appreciate the wonderful reviews a I got from some of you urging me to continue and hurry up my lazy ass and update! Hehe. Anyway, this chapter and the next were originally going to be just one chapter, but then I decided it would probably be better to break it up into 2, I still have to sort out how exactly im going to write the next part, but without further ado, here is the long awaited update! Enjoy!

**Ch. 14**

* * *

_  
POV: Author_

Almost two months had passed since Legolas left Rivendell and returned to his home in Mirkwood. Late October's chilly wind wrapped its arms over Middle Earth and the clouds above whispered of rains promised to come. The leaves of the forest had turned brilliant shades of orange, red, and yellow, giving off the impression that the woods were blazing every time the evening sun peaked out.

Náriël had not felt quite right since the end of the summer. She didn't feel like doing anything and the slightest thing seemed to set her off. All she wanted to do of late was walk alone in the woods or sit in her room and cry silent tears. This change had not gone unnoticed by her father.

Her heartache clearly identified what the problem was, but her brain would not acknowledge it. She simply refused to accept the truth –she was in love with Legolas.

…

But under skinned knees and the skid marks

Past the places where you used to learn

You howl and listen, listen and wait for

The echoes of angels who won't return

You're waiting for someone to put you together

You're waiting for someone to push you away

There's always another wound to discover

There's always something more you wish he'd say…

…

It was on this very evening, while Náriël sat locked in her room yet again, that a messenger from Mirkwood arrived in Imladris. Náriël, finally deciding to feed herself, heard an unfamiliar voice coming from her father's study as she descended the steps. Standing just outside in the hallway, she listened intently to the conversation between the messenger and her father.

"…he says it is urgent My Lord. It is about his son, Prince Legolas…"

Náriël gasped at hearing his name. Her ears strained so that she wouldn't miss a word.

"What is it? Is something wrong?"

"I was not told, but King Thranduil wishes to meet you as soon as possible."

'What's happened to Legolas? I wonder if he's alright…I hope nothing is wrong…'

Her thoughts were broken when she heard the shifting of chairs as the two elves stood up. Quickly scurrying into the kitchen, mind racing, Náriël wondered what she would do. At that moment, her father entered. He looked at his daughter and she could clearly see worry written all over his face.

"Ada, what's wrong?"

"Nothing…I'm afraid I'm going to have to leave to Mirkwood tomorrow morning. I'm not quite sure how long I shall be gone…"

"Let me come with you!" Náriël implored.

"No, no. That's not a good idea. You must stay here, and promise that you'll behave yourself."

He gave her a pointed look. Upon seeing her nod in agreement, he walked over and placed a fatherly kiss on the crown of her head. With that, he left the elleth to her thoughts.

'This will not do. I won't be left in the dark…I guess I'm just going to have to go to Mirkwood anyway…'

…………..

During the entire journey to Mirkwood, Náriël fallowed her father without him knowing it. She kept a safe distance, but made sure she was aware of his location at all times. Needless to say, she was grateful upon reaching her destination at last. A problem suddenly hit her: Where was she to go now? What was she to do now?

'Well, now that I'm here, Ada can't just send me home…I mean, he wouldn't…would he?'

It was early morning and the fog was just starting to lift as the sun stretched out its long fingers to warm the world below. From a distance, she saw Elrond speaking to the king. She knew that something was very wrong when she saw the frown on her father's face deepening. She had to know what they were saying, the curiosity was killing her.

She snuck forward until she could hear their conversation, hoping against hope that neither elf would pick up her presence with their keen intuition.

_POV: Náriël_

From my position amidst the trees, I was close enough that I could hear their conversation, although barely. I could also make out Legolas at a distance. The trees in which I was located were sort of the border to a woodsy area. Looking out at Legolas, I saw that he was sitting on a bench off to the side of an elegant house.

His back was to me and he was facing a giant open field. The grass was a luminous dark green despite the late autumn month. The sun was shining down on his golden hair, donning him with a sort of halo. With every wisp of wind I could see his glowing locks flowing back.

He was apparently far enough away from his father and my own to be out of earshot, for I quickly picked up that their conversation was already about him. The two Elvin lords stood in front of the entrance to the house beyond and looked upon my heart's desire with worried eyes.

King Thranduil sighed.

"I just don't know what to do. This is a very rare occurrence amongst the Elves. Although he has hardly spoken a word since his return, I can guess what is ailing him."

'Ailing him! He's sick! With what?' I thought frantically.

I saw my father shake his head before he responded to the Elvin king.

"You are correct, my dear friend. Depression is not very common, however, it does happen. But why so sudden? What caused this? He seems to be a completely different elf. The melancholy in his eyes seems to reach his very soul and constrict his heart. You say he no longer sings or plays on any of his instruments?"

"Aye, he no longer smiles or laughs…It is because of Solith…"

'Solith? Who was Solith?'

"_Solith_…but surely…he would be past that now…?"

"You would think, wouldn't you? He was so young…and I understand that what happened hurt him deeply…but this will not do. Elrond, I wish to make my son happy again, yet I do not know how."

I saw the king look at my father will imploring eyes. I had no idea what was going on or who this elleth was that they were talking about. I was very curious to find out what could have happened that would cause this reaction in Legolas. Was Solith his mother?

I was broken out of my reverie when I heard a distinct laugh. But it was not filled with mirth; it was not sincere; it was a dry, sardonic sort of laugh – one filled with sorrow and disdain. Looking to its origin, I saw Legolas approaching the elderly lords.

"You think you can just stand there and talk behind my back like that? You think after all those years of battle and living in the wilderness my keen hearing would not pick up what you are saying!"

His voice was rising and I could sense the anger emanating from him.

"Solith…"

He barely whispered her name.

"HOW DARE YOU DISCUSS HOW I SHOULD FEEL ABOUT HER! I HAVE NO RIGHT TO JUST LET HER GO LIKE THAT! I HAVE NO RIGHT TO MOVE ON WITH MY LIFE WHEN SHE WAS NOT ALLOWED TO DO SO WITH HERS!"

His father spoke softly in an attempt to calm the raging elf before him, "Legolas, calm down. It has been years…you _must_ let her go…you must move on…"

'Maybe she wasn't his mother after all…' I felt an unexplainable surge of jealousy enter my system.

"No. I cannot do so…it is my fault…it is all my fault." His voice was hardly above a whisper and his eyes stared up at the sky, seeing something that was invisible to all but him.

"Legolas," Elrond put a comforting hand on his shoulder, "You mustn't blame yourself. You could not have foreseen it. Even I did not foresee it. You have to forgive yourself and let her go…"

"HOW CAN I FORGIVE MYSELF! IT'S _MY_ FAULT SHE'S DEAD!"

Tears were now pouring down his face. My heart clenched in my chest.

'What's going on? What is he talking about!'

"I loved her with all my heart; my soul; my entire being…I should have listened to her and stayed by her side. But no, I had to be the valiant warrior and go off to battle…leaving her to just die… _alone_…"

I could now see that he was trembling. His father stepped up and embraced his son in an attempt to calm him. I was suddenly aware of the hot tears silently streaming down my own face. A sudden realization hit me like a ton of bricks. I felt as if my heart were torn into shreds. He could never love me…his heart will always belong to someone else…

…

I am everything you want, I am everything you need

I am everything inside of you that you wish you could be

I say all the right things at exactly the right time

But I mean nothing to you, and I don't know why

…

All of the wonderful times we spent together. All of the times I made him smile and laugh…he never saw anything beyond friendship. How could I have been so stupid? How could I have let my guard down like that?

'I don't love him…I don't. He's just a good friend and nothing more.'

Yet despite what I told myself, the pain in my bosom would not subside. I wiped the tears from my face and cautiously looked through the branches. Legolas was walking inside the house. My father half turned towards me and I gasped.

"Náriël, you can come out now."

'Uh-oh.'

I cautiously descended from the branches of the Mallorn tree in which I had been perched. I knew I was in quite a heap of trouble. I slowly made my way to my father and King Thranduil. However, although I expected there to be scolding and arguing, there was none. My father simply put his arm around my shoulders and guided me into the royal family's home.  
We walked into a room, which I'm guessing was the study, when my father ordered me to sit into one of the grand chairs. I did as I was told and squirmed around a little as I attempted to get comfortable in my nervousness. As the king walked into the room, he closed the door behind him and the two lords turned to face me.

"How did I know you were going to pull something like this?"

I looked down at my hands sheepishly.

"You didn't seriously think that your presence would go unnoticed did you?" asked the king.

I blushed furiously and then realized that it wasn't a rhetorical question.

"Well I…I just figured that since Legolas couldn't hear what you were saying…and I was only a bit closer than he was…that maybe you….wouldn't?"

My voice was meek and I think it trembled slightly. It was pathetic really. I'm not usually one to talk in such a way. However, I knew the gravity of the situation, and it was no time to make things difficult.

"Yes, well…first of all, we are no young elves and certainly have greater perception than most. However, with Legolas, I suppose we underestimated his skill."

The prince's father gave a slight wry smile at his own statement. I nodded and mumbled a small apology which I hoped they'd hear.

"Well," My father began, "Since you're here and you did hear that conversation, I suppose you deserve to know what happened. Yes…I want you to know that it is not your fault that Legolas just left abruptly like he did…"

I nodded my understanding, silently urging my father to continue. I'm a very curious elleth and I desperately wanted to know what happened in Legolas's past to make him the way he is – so locked up and unwilling to let anyone in.

My father's melancholy voice brought me out of my reverie as he began to unfurl the tail of the Prince's heart wrenching past…

…

I walk a lonely road  
The only one that I have ever known  
Don't know where it goes  
But it's home to me and I walk alone

I walk this empty street  
On the Boulevard of Broken Dreams  
Where the city sleeps  
and I'm the only one and I walk aloneMy shadow's the only one that walks beside me  
My shallow heart's the only thing that's beating  
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me  
'Til then I walk alone…

(Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day)

…

* * *

**A/N:  
**_Please don't forget to review! I know I haven't updated in forever so I've probably lost many loyal reviewers and I'm sooo sorry, but PLEASE REVIEW!_

**OOOOHHH! Also, I LOVE YOU GUYS SOOO MUCH! With my last chapter, I was brought up to 200 reviews! That made me sooooo ecstatic! (does happy dance)**

**_Solith_: **her name translates to "fire star"

**First song used: **Everything You Want by Vertical Horizon


	15. A Haunting Past, Part 2

Perplexities of Growing Up

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the places or characters used here except for Náriël-I did invent her and if she resembles anyone else's character in anyway, I'm sorry- not done on purpose. Everything else belongs to Tolkien.

**A/N:  
****WARNING! WARNING! WARNING!**

Ok everyone, listen up…I'm warning you right now that the beginning of this chapter has some semi-explicit sexual content (it's not really that bad, but still)…so if you're not old enough or don't like reading that kind of stuff PLEASE skip over the first half, you don't have to read it to really get the relationship btwn. Legolas and Solith! So once again, if you don't like it, PLEASE DON'T READ IT! I really don't want to get in trouble w/ b/c someone reported my story and then they have to take it off! So seriously, you've been warned!

Ch. 15

* * *

My father's melancholy voice brought me out of my reverie as he began to unfurl the tale of the Prince's heart wrenching past…

_POV: Náriël_

It happened about a century ago (A/N: this would mean Legolas was like 16ish human wise)…Solith was merely one century younger than our dear prince….

_POV: Author: Flashback_

The evening forest was calm and quiet save for the melodies of a few lone birds and the soft sounds escaping the lips of the two young lovers entwined below. It was late summer and the warm breeze wound its way around the already changing leaves and blanketed the couple splayed out on the soft summer grass. The evening sun danced upon the forest floor in wild patterns caused by the shifting foliage above.

"oooh…"

Legolas dipped his head into the crook of her neck and kissed her gently, encouraged by her soft moans of approval. His hand tenderly caressed her side as he pushed in and out of her with a steady rhythm. Her fingers ran through his hair and down his back.

"ahh, Solith…"

He trailed off, unable to put his feelings into words.

The two had known each other ever since they were young elflings. Every time he visited Rivendell he made a point to stop by her small village on the edge of the forest of Imladris to see her. They had been dubbed "an item" for about two centuries now…this stage in their relationship, however, was a recent development.

She squeezed her legs around his waist tighter and arched into him.

"oh Legolas….ahhhh, I'm so close…"

He only grunted in response.

He nuzzled her neck as she threw her head back and panted out his name in pure ecstasy. A few more thrusts and he joined her in rolling over the hills of bliss…

"Solith, I love you" was all he breathed out.

They laid there and simply held each other in complete and comfortable silence for a while. Gazing up into the towering and mesmerizing trees above, Solith turned to her beloved prince and looked at him. He turned his head to the left and stared into her eyes, completely enthralled by the idea that she was his; that the elleth that he so deeply loved and cherished felt the same way about him.

"Legolas," she began.

"Yes, love?"

"Promise me you'll always love me."

Legolas smiled softly and turned to whisper in her ear, "I promise…"

…….

_-Several Years Later -_

"Legolas, _please_ I beg you! Don't leave!"

"I must, I have to go! The Orcs are out of control and the men ask for our help. I too am a soldier of Mirkwood. I must go and fight. I have to prove my worth as something other than a prince that simply sits on his behind and looks pretty! Do you not understand?"

Then more softly, "I love you Solith. I will be back for you, I promise."

"Legolas, _don't leave me_! They are too near! Stay and protect my village. Please, stay with me! I know I'm being selfish, but what can I do? I love you with all my heart. I wouldn't be able to stand losing you…"

The last part was barely said above a whisper and the tears in her eyes were just about ready to break through the dam holding them back. Legolas swiftly walked over to his beloved elleth and held her close to him. After several minutes he kissed her on her forehead and leaned back to stare into her eyes.

"I have to go love," he spoke quietly, "but I _will_ be back. Know that you are always in my heart and on my mind."

"Prince Legolas, we must be moving out now, it is getting late!"

Legolas grabbed Solith by her upper arms and pulled her into a passionate kiss. He poured his soul into the few precious seconds that it lasted. Pulling away, he turned and mounted his horse. He didn't turn back. He couldn't. He feared his guilt might consume him and convince him to stay.

"Legolas," she whispered.

Solith fell to her knees and broke into heart-wrenching sobs.

'Will I ever see you again?'

…….

_- Two Years Later -_

Legolas galloped into Rivendell, and as the rest of the company continued on to bring the news of their victory to the Lord Elrond, he turned off onto a winding and very familiar path. It had been a little over two years since he had left this place without a second glance behind him. By the time of his return, autumn had already set in. The forest was aflame in vibrant shades of red, orange, and yellow.

He slowed his raven colored horse down to a slow trot as he admired the nature around him. As he sat here atop his horse, he noticed something quite odd. Silence. Complete and utter silence. Apart from the wonderful crunching of leaves from his horse, there were no sounds in the forest – no birds, no animals, not even the wind dared to stir. A deep foreboding feeling filled his heart and he immediately urged the beast forward.

Legolas stopped dead in his tracks. He dismounted, nearly falling off the horse instead of his usually graceful jump.

There, before him, was his beloved village… in complete ruin. Smoke curled up its teasing and taunting fingers from the ruins of the once beautiful Elven houses. Not a single building remained standing. He numbly made his way through the wreckage, looking for anyone still alive. It was all in vain; anyone he managed to find was burned beyond recognition, many still clutching their bows and arrows or in the arms of their loved ones, with Orc arrows protruding from their once elegant bodies.

Legolas whirled around in a circle. His mind racing, heart pounding. Only one thing occupied his mind at this moment. Solith.

'Where is she! With Lord Elrond? She must be…She can't…She can't be…no.'

He made up his mind and ran back to his horse, unshed tears stinging his eyes. He galloped toward the Last Homely House like Hell itself was on his heels. He tore into Elrond's study like thunder and stared wildly around him. All he found was a forlorn Elrond sitting at his desk, not daring to look up into the eyes of the soon to be mourning elf.

"Where is she?"

His voice was a deadly calm, but Elrond could hear the underlying panic. He knew exactly of whom the young warrior spoke of.

"I suppose you've been to the village," was all he managed to say.

He couldn't bring himself to tell Legolas what he already knew; to make his fears a complete reality.

"Where is she!"

His voice was now clearly shaky with sorrow and rage.

"None made it Legolas. None survived. By the time we got there….we managed to kill the Orcs, but it was too late for the village."

"No…no…she's smart, she must have run away!"

The tears were now clouding his eyes to the point that the entire room was blurry and Legolas could no longer tell the difference between Elrond and a chair beside him.

"We found the body Legolas. It wasn't badly burned…This all happened only but a day ago. She's been buried in the soils of her birthplace, and covered with the ashes of her cherished village…"

He trailed off, unsure of what to do or say. But Legolas just stood there. He didn't seem to want to let it all sink in. It was too much. She wasn't supposed to die. Solith was supposed to be _here_, waiting for him. If anything, _he_ was supposed to be the one to die. Not her. She was too young; too full of life…and love. Love…

She had begged him to stay. Pleaded for him not to go; to stay and protect her and the village…if only he had listened…

"It's all my fault…"

He seemed to be staring off at nothing in particular as the tears gently rolled down his fair cheeks and hit the soft rug below. Elrond stood and walked over to the grieving young elf. Wrapping his arms around him, he attempted to assure Legolas that it was in no way his fault.

But Legolas knew better. He was a great warrior and if only he had stayed he knew that he could have got her out of there safely. If he had listened to her heartbreaking cries for him to not leave her, she would still be alive now, warming him with her soft body. Her lips, her eyes, her hair, her touch, her voice.

Legolas couldn't take it. He wrenched himself free of Elrond's embrace and stormed out of the house. Elrond quickly followed, calling after him.

"This _is_ all my fault! It is! Whilst I was casually trotting along back there in complete relaxation and basking in the glory of victory, Solith was here! She was dying a horrible and frightening death…_alone_! She was probably thinking about how I betrayed her! How if I had stayed things would have been different! How she was burning to death and I was not there to save her!"

"Legolas, this is madness! You could not have stopped that onslaught by yourself! Do not be ridiculous!"

Legolas now spoke in a cool voice, yet full of sorrow and despair, "I am left with nothing now, Lord Elrond. I have nothing left. She was everything to me…my life, my happiness…everything. And now she's gone because of my selfishness and need for glory; because of my need to prove something. I shall never be able to love someone again…"

"You are wrong there Legolas. You are still young, you will see, you'll find someone."

Legolas glared at the Elven lord before him.

"You misunderstand me my lord. I shall never love someone again because I can't. I am no longer allowed the luxury. I would be betraying her memory. All that we had gone through, all the promises I had made…I could never do that to her. I'll at least give Solith that, she can have my eternal love and happiness. I no longer have the right to it."

With that, he turned his horse and ran off as fast as his horse could carry him back to Mirkwood. It would be many years before Legolas would once again return to Imladris, but he would always avoid strolling in the woods that now seemed so forbidden to him. He spent quite a few years mourning the death of his beloved Fire Star, and she forever stayed in his heart, haunting his dreams at night. Eventually, he managed to let some of it go and forgive himself a little, but to love someone else, he knew would be the greatest sin he could now commit…

_POV: Author: End of Flashback_

Náriël sat stark still as it all soaked in. She vaguely remembered her younger self sitting on the stairs and listening to the muffled and anguished cries of someone coming from her father's study. She remembered seeing wisps of beautiful golden hair flying out the front door before she had to scamper back up the stairs in fear of being caught eavesdropping.

Now she knew. Now she knew everything, and a small part inside of her wished she didn't; yes, ignorance is bliss. This stung her to her very core for she now was positive that any affections she had for Legolas were a waste and must be immediately forgotten. She screamed at herself inside for letting him in like that…for allowing herself to be lulled into a false sense of security with him…for falling for him.

During the long story Náriël hadn't even noticed as King Thranduil quietly slipped out of the room, but she was brought out of her inner battle as he now slowly reentered. His face was sullen as he gazed upon Lord Elrond before he spoke.

"It is time. He's leaving."

With that he turned and walked out of the room. Elrond hung his head slightly and put a hand on Náriël's shoulder. She whirled around and looked up at her all-knowing father.

"Legolas? He's leaving?"

"Yes, I'm afraid so."

Náriël stood up numbly and allowed her father to guide her out of the room and to the expansive fields out front that they had occupied only a few precious hours before. There, she saw him. Legolas was tying on a few small bags onto the back of his proud and gorgeous stallion. As he worked in arranging his baggage, he not once glanced back at Náriël.

_POV: Náriël_

He knew I was there, and yet he would not look at me. It tore at my heart to think that he could turn so cold to me in so little time. Did he hate me now? Did he resent me for my foolish affections towards him? Did he even know I had any feelings for him at all?

I turned towards my father and asked quietly, "Why Ada, why is he leaving?"

But it was not my father who answered me. King Thranduil turned his sorrowful eyes upon me and replied, "He must leave to deal with his grief. An elf's feelings run deep, and wounds such as these are not easy to heal. He needs to go out and rediscover himself, he needs to forgive himself. This will take much time; I only pray to the Valar that his journey be a safe one and he return home swiftly. But alas, it must be done, or his heart and soul will never be at rest."

"But where is he off to? Where will he go?"

"Where ever his heart's desire shall carry him."

I turned back towards Legolas to find him staring at me. He was holding the reins to his horse and his currently slate grey stormy eyes bore into mine. The message in his gaze was hidden from me as usual. His eyes broke from mine as he stepped up to my father. They embraced one another and said their goodbyes. He next walked past me and to his own father, King Thranduil. After following the same ritual, he turned to me. The expression on his face and the feelings in his eyes a pure enigma to me.

"My lady," he said as he slightly bowed, his eyes never leaving mine, "I am sure we will see each other once more in the future, but for now, I must take my leave."

'_Will_ I ever see you I again?'

With that said, he gently took my hand in his and placed a soft kiss on the back of it. Straightening up, he mounted his steed and rode off. Once again, I was left standing there with a broken heart, staring at the retreating back of Prince Legolas.

For the second time in about two months, Legolas had left me hurt and confused. My heart seemed to have shattered, yet I did not shed a tear this time. I refused to; I wouldn't cry. He no longer deserved my tears; my sorrow began to mix with anger and anguish. I hated him for making me feel this way. I hated Legolas.

….

_So you sailed away  
__Into a grey sky morning  
__Now I'm here to stay  
__Love can be so boring_

_Nothing's quite the same now  
__I just say your name now…_

_So you stole my world  
__Now I'm just a phony  
__Remembering the girl  
__Leaves me down and lonely…_

_And it may take some time to  
__Patch me up inside  
__But I can't take it so I  
__run away and hide  
__And I may find in time that  
__You were always right,  
__You're always right  
__You're always right…_

(Best I Ever Had by Vertical Horizon)

….

- Story **NOT** over yet! -

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**A/N:  
**wow, this was an interesting chapter to write…I'm almost kinda embarrassed by the first part…and if that's the case…o gosh…cause I was planning on making Legolas and Náriël a bit more intense…maybe…yes? No? any thoughts? Please let me know, I'd love some feed back…

Thanks to all of you who reviewed!

**Princess Shadowcat**: Yay! My first reviewer after my long break! So loyal! LOL! thanks a bunch, don't forget to review this chapter too :-)

**Michelle Moonshine**: WEEEEE thanks sooo much! I love positive reviews like that!

**Elfie Gurl**: new reviewer? Yay!

**Ctimene**: hope you liked this chapter too, don't forget to review! (hey, that rhymes…)

**Elizabeth**: another new reviewer :-) well, hope this chapter answered your question!

**Priestess of Shadows**: woo hoo! Happiness! I'm really glad you like this so much! Thanks for reviewing!

**FitzyBabe08**: HAHAH! (blushes) yes…well….who wouldn't like to get a peak at em naked eh? (wink wink) anyway, I'm glad that you like my story and think it's very original b/c I wouldn't want it to seem similar to anyone else's, obviously. I loved your review and I'm glad it was a bit more than just a "I liked this chapter."

**Beagle**: Well, let's see…ok, I admit that using two songs may have been a bit too much, but no, I'm not using em just to take up space, b/c my chapters are an ok length even w/out them I think…theyre on average 8-10 pages. Anyway, I just use the songs b/c I often find one that seems to fit in with the mood of the story or the feelings of the characters at that particular time. So if you don't like em, you can skip over them! Lol. anyway, in response to an earlier review, you had said that I need more foreshadowing. Well, after reading this chapter, if you go back and reread some of the things that Legolas said or thought when around Náriël, you'll see that I actually had quite a bit of foreshadowing. For example, at one time, Legolas was thinking about starting to feel something for Náriël and he thought something along the lines of "No, this isn't right, I'm not allowed to be feeling this way…" so you see what I mean? Make sense now? Btw. Im annoyed b/c kt nv did review -.- lol

**IloveOrlando08**: yayness! Another new reviewer! Thanks so much for your kind words! And no, I don't plan on dropping this, no matter how long it takes, im going to finish! Lol anyway, we might be getting closer to the end now b/c I don't wanna drag it all out too much…so we'll see.

**Raider-K**: well im glad ive got yet another new reader! Anyway, I hope that this chapter has satisfied your curiosity and answered your questions!

**Elven at Heart**: thanks so much for your review! I really appreciate your loyalty lol (kinda sounds like a dog doesn't it? Hahaha) anyhoo, I really enjoy reading your reviews! Thanks again!

**Lady Falcon Ranger**: well, despite the fact that both "Elvin" and "Elven" sound the same to me, I still thank you for the correction b/c, lol, if you hadn't noticed, a reviewer once pointed out to me that I kept switching between "Elvin" and "Elfin"…I think the reason for that was that neither one really looked right and for some reason I couldn't figure out how to fix it o.o;; anyway, "Elven" _does_ look a lot better so I'll be sure to use that from now on.


	16. a new beginning…or history repeated?

**Perplexities of Growing Up**

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of the places or characters used here except for Náriël-I did invent her and if she resembles anyone else's character in anyway, I'm sorry- not done on purpose. Everything else belongs to Tolkien.

**A/N:  
**Ok! I'm back:-) School is starting on Monday. Bleh. I hope I'll still be motivated to write…im so sorry for the slow updates, I need to get back into my LOTR mode…maybe I need to go watch one of the movies…again…lol! anyhoo, enough rambling, on with the story! Enjoy and please review at the end! I love reading the reviews and they provide wonderful motivation for me to keep going!

**Ch. 16: a new beginning…or history repeated?**

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_  
POV: Author_

It was a dismal day – all damp and dark and rainy, perfectly fit for the mood she was in. She ran through the forest as fast as her feet could carry her, the small beaten path a blur before her tear-soaked eyes. She choked out a sob as a branch whipped her across her exposed collarbone and shoulder. The blood was pounding in her ears; her heart was racing. She dared not stop to see if he were still following.

Náriël clutched her now torn dress tightly to her body to keep it from slipping down during her hasty retreat. She shook her head as she screamed at herself inside and yet the heartache would not go away – he had betrayed her, and for that, she could never forgive him.

'Maybe Ada was right…'

As she ran farther away from her assailant, she began to feel a sharp pain in her side. She dropped down on all fours and attempted to catch her breath. Her once beautiful dress was now covered in mud from the recently fallen rains, but she did not care for the giant tear in the back of the dress was irreparable anyway. Her labored breathing slowed down, but the tears only increased. She strained her ears, and indeed, she could still pick up his quick footsteps not far behind.

Her eyes opened wide in panic as she scrambled up from the ground and shot off once more. Her feet hurt from her fast pace and she wanted to yell out the fury and anguish building up inside of her. And suddenly, the heavens opened up…and it started to rain.

'Why! Why did things have to turn out this way!'

The rain sped up and began to pelt her back as torrents of water poured down from the sky. The wind howled threateningly through the dark trees whispering of a spring soon to come. The tears were now burning her eyes and she no longer knew where she was going. It had grown so dark that one would have thought it to already be dusk had they naught the previous knowledge that it was only a bit past noon. Through the stormy gloom and what seemed to be a waterfall descending upon her, she did not even notice the young elf before her until it was too late.

She collided with him head on, her ankle nearly twisting as her shoe flew off somewhere out of sight. She sat there on the cold wet ground in a confused stupor. Through the wet locks that clung to her face so adamantly, she could make out a male form with long hair braided back. She was seized with fright as a thought ran through her mind.

'No, how could he! But I never noticed! He couldn't have passed me! Oh Valor, please, I beg you, don't let it be him…'

She squeezed her eyes shut as knew waves of dread rolled over her. She resumed her furious sobbing as she attempted to back away while still remaining on the forest floor. Her back was suddenly met by a large tree trunk and upon realizing that there was no escape, she brought her knees up to her chest and clutched them tightly.

"_Náriël?_"

'That voice…where have I heard it before?'

She tentatively opened her eyes and through the haze of the storm attempted to identify the elf before her. The mist hid his facial features and her crazed mind began to form illusions as to whom he might be.

'Legolas?'

She looked up at him in surprise and confusion. In an instant a whirlwind of emotions swept through her, but the ones that remained were hurt and anger. She turned her head away from him and scowled, forgetting her precarious situation for the moment.

_POV: Legolas_

"Náriël, what happened to you?"

I knelt down beside her in a bit of a panic. The last time I saw her this disheveled was on our first meeting. Her dress was filthy and torn in places; it looked like her death grip was the only thing holding it up. Her hair was dirty and tousled and the wet strands clung to her face, giving her a wild appearance.

A noise suddenly caught my attention and I shot up, grabbing my bow and pulling an arrow taught upon it. Pointing it in the direction of the disturbance, an elf appeared out of the mist like an apparition. I heard Náriël give a small exclamation of what seemed to be horror and surprise rolled into one. Then it dawned on me.

"Aniolad?"

I turned to Náriël incredulously. There was no way I could believe that after everything, after all these years, after the three centuries that I was gone, she would have gone back to him, and still be with him to this very day (A/N: ok, age/maturity wise, Náriël is 17, Legolas is 20 and Aniolad is 18) I heard him take a step forward and I whipped my head back in his direction. Náriël began to softly cry behind me once more. I narrowed my gaze into a glare as I stared at the one elf that I hated the most.

"What happened? What have you done to her?"

I did not remove the arrow from my bow as I interrogated him. He took another step forward as an arrogant smirk appeared on his face. His eyes flickered to Náriël and then quickly back to me; he seemed to take no heed of the dangerous weapon I wielded at the moment.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here? Our tragic hero has returned at last? Here to save the little princess, are you?"

His smirk twisted into a sick smile, giving him the look of a madman.

"Well guess what, _Prince_ Legolas? I'm no longer afraid of you. I've spent these past centuries honing my skills and I'm proud to say that I do believe I could kick your ass all the way back to Mirkwood…send you home with your tail between your legs! Now, what's going on between Náriël and myself is none of your concern, so I'm warning you, turn your back on this and leave before I make you regret it."

His warped smile turned into a full blown grin as he slowly turn his head towards Náriël, lowering his lids and lifting his chin in what he probably thought was a "sexy" look. I was so infuriated by is pretentious speech that I gripped my bow till my knuckles went white.

"Care to give that theory of yours a try? Why don't we have a go at it, eh?"

I let the arrow loose, making sure it landed mere millimeters away from what I would have much rather had as its target. His eyes grew wide as he looked down at the arrow now lodged in the ground and in between his feet. I saw his glance swiftly shift to his family jewels before his head snapped up in anger.

"Not quite as good a marksman as you say I see."

I glowered at him. If he only knew…growling out my fury, I knew of only one way to satisfy my rage. I dropped the bow and flung off my bag of arrows as I quickly stalked towards him. My fists were balled up in anger and I could practically feel my eyes glinting in malice. I saw fear in his eyes at that moment and it made a corner of my mouth curl up in a tiny smile. He still attempted his façade of courage; he wouldn't budge.

Oh well, all the better for me.

Before he could blink I grabbed the front of his tunic and hurled my fist toward his face. I heard a few bones crunch as I made perfect contact with my target. I _am_ a pretty good marksman, if I do say so myself. I threw him back so that he landed on his behind and I stood above him in what I hoped was a very threatening manner.

"If you ever, and I mean EVER come anywhere near Náriël again I will make you believe that the pain you are experiencing now is paradise."

My voice was a deadly hiss and my blood boiled in my veins as I looked down on him.

"You can be sure," I spat out, "that Lord Elrond will know of this, and you will be lucky if he does not throw both you and your family out of Rivendell for good!"

He stared up at me with a mixture of pain and fear before attempting to hurriedly stand up. After two attempts in which he simply slipped and fell back into the mud, he finally managed to right himself and scampered off like a scared cat from whence he came. A deep sigh escaped my lips as I looked into the fog that Aniolad had disappeared into just moments before. My brain was mulling over the dire situation in which Náriël had found herself in previous to my arrival. I was angry with her. How could she have been so stupid? Not only had I warned her about him, but so had her father…leave it up to Náriël to be stubborn and do her own thing anyway.

I turned around and made my way back to the still sobbing elleth. How she had such a store of tears, I could not say. The rain had finally stopped, and I knelt down beside her once more and tried to wipe away some the stray strands of hair that were glued across her face. The moment I touched her though, she shrunk away from me, shutting her eyes tighter and pulling her knees in closer. I sighed once more.

'I only pray to the Valor that he did not succeed in …his _intentions_…however, with the way she is behaving…I just don't know. Maybe I was too late.'

The thought scared me more than I would like to admit. I gently scooped her up into my arms bridle style as I whistled for my horse. She quickly began to panic at my touch and thrashed around, attempting to push me away from her. I only held her closer and tried my best to console the frightened elleth. The scared whimpers escaping her broke my heart.

_POV: Náriël_

I sat there still huddled by the tree and quietly wept. As degrading as it was, I did not know what else to do. I was cold and wet and more frightened than I had ever been before. For some reason, at this point Aniolad scared me more than that Warg had three centuries ago. Just thinking about _any_ male touching me revolted me at the moment. It sent such fear and pure panic through my body; I was confused by it all.

Everything that I had felt for Aniolad…the sensations that coursed through me when he touched me, when he kissed me…it was all so new. I did not know how I should act or whether the feelings that his actions elicited were correct or not. All I knew was that it was so different from the light butterflies and embarrassing blushes I would get around Legolas. The feelings brought forth by Aniolad were feelings of need, I suppose. The thing is, when he would hold me close and run his hands over my body, all I wanted was to feel more of him…or maybe it wasn't that I wanted more of Aniolad, but more of the sensations he was creating.

I'm so confused by it all. What happened this morning only added to the chaos already existing inside my head. All I need is some time to my self to sort through everything. The fact that Legolas was now suddenly back most certainly complicated things. All I know at this moment is that I just want to be alone. I don't want to feel anyone beside me, holding me, touching me, kissing me, caressing me. Just alone.

As I sat there contemplating this, still crying slightly, I felt Legolas kneel down and brush the hair away from my face. Despite the fact that I was immensely grateful for what he had just done for me, I could not bear the feeling of his flesh against mine and I shrunk away from him. I tried to make myself as small as possible and shut my eyes tighter, hoping that when I'd open them again, it would just be me, clouded in the gloom of the day's storm, blanketed by the mist from the rain, hidden from everyone…

But alas, it was not so. I felt a strong pair of arms tenderly swoop me up in one smooth and fluid motion and I was reminded…

_POV: Author: Flashback_

Náriël sat lazily under a tree, hidden from the gentle rain beneath its infinite branches and budding leaves. Aniolad stood several feet away from her, a lustful gaze plastered on his otherwise serene face. He prowled up to her like a panther and falling onto his knees before her, helaid his hands on either side of her small frame, effectively pinning her between the tree and himself. He looked up at her through his lashes before crushing his lips against hers. It was slightly painful, but something about it sparked something inside Náriël and she moaned slightly before wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him closer.

Aniolad smiled against her lips, a sly smirk gracing his face. He pulled away from her and stood up. Staring down at her for only a second he stooped and picked her up bridle style, nearly keeling over due to his eagerness. Walking a bit away from the glade they had just been in, he set her down in the soft but damn grass. His hands slipped up her body, under her skirts, and back out again. They then proceeded to dip into the front of her dress as he sucked on her neck.

He felt Náriël stiffen slightly at his brash actions, but did not stop. He continued kissing and caressing her even though she was now more hesitant in returning the affections… she had never before allowed his hands such freedom in roaming her body – then again, he had never really tried. He shifted so that his body was covering hers and she could feel is hard arousal against her thigh. Her heart began to race as panic crept up through her body. She could now feel his hand moving to the back of her dress, trying to unzip it.

With her eyes wide she tried to desperately push him off while telling him to stop, but he ignored her and simply pinned her wrists above her head. With a devilish grin he looked down upon her...

_POV: Author: End of Flashback_

Náriël began to thrash as she remembered how Aniolad acted before attacking her. She frantically tried to push Legolas away from her, unable to stand the thought of a male holding her. Once more, she was reminded of how much stronger they both were. He held her close and tried to soothe her as he carried her to his horse. Náriël began to cry again as all rationale left her. All she wanted was to be curled up in her warm and safe blankets, all alone in her room.

At this point, even Legolas frightened her. She was no longer sure who she could trust and who she should be wary of. All of the sadness and anguish that she felt over the past occurrences with Legolas and the recent ones with Aniolad were turned into bitterness as he held her close.

'No, I have been a fool twice already. I refuse to be dubbed one for a third time. I will not allow my heart to be broken again. I don't need any of them anyway, I'm happier on my own….never again,' she silently vowed to herself.

………..

_Where have all the good men gone  
__And where are all the gods?  
__Where's the street-wise Hercules  
__To fight the rising odds?  
__Isn't there a white knight upon a fiery steed?  
__Late at night I toss and turn and dream of what I need_

_I need a hero  
__I'm holding out for a hero 'til the end of the night  
__He's gotta be strong  
__And he's gotta be fast  
__And he's gotta be fresh from the fight  
__I need a hero  
__I'm holding out for a hero 'til the morning light  
__He's gotta be sure  
__And it's gotta be soon  
__And he's gotta be larger than life_

_Somewhere after midnight  
__In my wildest fantasy  
__Somewhere just beyond my reach  
__There's someone reaching back for me  
__Racing on the thunder and rising with the heat  
__It's gonna take a superman to sweep me off my feet…_

(Holding Out For A Hero by Frou Frou)

……..

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**  
A/N:  
**Alrighty! Now we're rolling again! I'm sorry, I know that this is kinda a short chapter and I'll try to make the next one longer but I thought this would be a good place to end this one for now. So yeah, reviews please! *puppy dog face*


	17. Heartache and Confusion – What a Doozy

Perplexities of Growing Up

**Disclaimer**: I do not own any of the places or characters used here except for Náriël-I did invent her and if she resembles anyone else's character in anyway, I'm sorry- not done on purpose. Everything else belongs to Tolkien.

**A/N:  
**Hey everyone, I'd just like to say thank you for all of the great reviews that I got for the last chapter, I really appreciate them!

**Ch.17: Heartache and Utter Confusion – What a Doozy!**

* * *

………

You and I are here  
Underwater  
Seconds are so dear  
Underwater  
I'm searching for a light  
to draw me closer  
I hold my breath in tight  
bring me closer

I feel your touch  
will you pull me up again?

It's not so bad down here  
Underwater  
Once you get past the fear  
Underwater  
I sense you through the haze  
just like a memory  
We've been down here for days  
have you seen me?

I feel your touch  
will you pull me up again?

You're just in sight  
will you save my life again?

- "Underwater" by Vertical Horizon -

……..

_POV: Author_

Legolas slowly ascended the steps leading to the Last Homely House. He looked down at the placid elleth in his arms. She no longer contained the look of sheer panic and desperation on her face; instead, it was replaced by a look of total composure. However, Legolas knew better, looking into Náriël's eyes he beheld nothing; total emptiness. He momentarily thought if she had learned the trick from him – revealing no emotions, and then thought better of it. The Náriël he knew could never discipline herself enough to have such control. Was it then, perhaps, that she really _was_ expressing her feelings…of emptiness?

Legolas sighed. He stepped inside of her home and stood there, taking in his surroundings. In a moment he could hear Lord Elrond's robes ruffling as he entered the room in which Legolas was located. His eyes widened from the double shock of not only seeing the Elven prince, but also beholding his beloved daughter in the young elf's arms. From the look on Legolas's face, Elrond knew better than to start asking questions.

Legolas continued his way up to Náriël's room, and upon reaching it, gently placed her atop her bed. Her eyes quietly blinked up at him. She hadn't spoken a word since the incident in the woods. Legolas gave her a weak smile as he stood up and walked out of the room, softly closing the large wooden door behind him. Descending down the stairs and into Elrond's office, he seated himself wordlessly in front of the Elven lord.

"Aniolad?"

The air was thick and heavy. That one name brought such fury to Legolas. His throat was tight and he could not bring himself to explain to the elf sitting before him that his daughter very well may have been raped by the one elf they both despised the most. So instead, he simply nodded. His head was bent low and his eyes did not meet those of Lord Elrond.

"What happened? What did he do to her?" he whispered.

Legolas clenched his fists and ground his teeth together. Snapping his head up he looked out the window. Taking a deep breath, Legolas realized that he could no longer keep the information from him. He slowly brought his sad eyes up to meet the worried father's.

…………………………………..

Elrond quietly opened the door to his daughter's chambers and poked his head inside.

"Náriël?"

She curled into a tighter ball under her covers and continued pretending to sleep. Not knowing what to do, Elrond decided to just let her be for the moment. Walking down the hall he came upon Cyrith.

"Cyrith…"

"Yes my lord?"

"Náriël has been through a great deal today. She is tired, hurt and dirty. I would greatly appreciate it if you would help her clean up a bit."

"Of course."

…………………………..

Náriël sat in front of her mirror and watched the monotonous motion of the brush going through her locks as Cyrith brushed her hair. She was dressed in a long but light and simple, white sleeping gown. She sat straight and quiet, not a word escaped her mouth. She could feel a drop of water roll off of her damp hair and continue down her neck, but she nothing to wipe it away.

'Strange. Náriël would usually protest to me babying her so. I don't even remember the last time that she let me brush her hair. I wonder what happened. She's so quiet…' thought Cyrith.

Once the elleth finished with her task, Náriël crawled into bed. Curling up in the safety of her blankets, she thought back on the crazy events of the day. Everything that happened kept whirling around in her head and despite how exhausted she was, sleep would not come. Well past midnight, she still was still lying there, staring up into the black nothingness of the dark night.

An exasperated 'humph' left her lips as she threw the covers back and set her bare feet on the cool bedroom floor. A sour look graced her face as she quietly opened her door and made her way down the hall. She approached the large semi-circular balcony on which she had had so many interesting conversations with Legolas; sometimes so deep he left her puzzled, other times about such trivial nothingness that she could not stop laughing.

The thoughts left her heart throbbing.

Shaking her head, she silently scolded herself. She would not allow herself to feel such things again; no form of heartache was acceptable. But deep down, she knew she could not fool herself – Náriël yearned for the past.

As she stepped out onto the balcony, she froze, still hidden in the shadows. There, sitting on the ledge and bathed in the soft light of the full moon, was Legolas. He looked breath taking. His golden hair was illuminated in such a way that there seemed to be a halo around his head. He was dressed in a simple silver sleeping tunic and black leggings. One leg was hanging over the edge of the railing, and he'd brought his other knee up to his chest, where his right arm was currently resting. He looked like something out of a painting.

Náriël couldn't remember the last time she saw Legolas so relaxed. He was completely consumed by whatever he was thinking about, lost in his own world as he gazed out upon the quiet Rivendell blanketed by night. It seemed as if he hadn't even noticed her presence. Náriël's eyes widened in curiosity, giving her face the expression of an innocent young elleth just entering womanhood.

"Náriël."

His voice was so soft and quiet, for a moment, she wasn't sure if he had actually spoken or if she had imagined it. Being quit stunned at the fact that he _had_ noticed her after all, she just stood there, not knowing what to do. All she knew was that she did not want to talk about the previous day. He turned his face to her. His features were soft and gentle and the look on his face took her breath away.

There were so many emotions expressed on his face at that moment that she just stared. He had never been this open with her before. True, had let his mask fall plenty of times in the past, but he had never let his emotions pour out of him quite as they seemed to at the moment.

Seeing that she was not planning on moving, Legolas stood up instead. He stared at her for a moment before slowly walking up to the elleth. Seeing her so lost and hurt tore at his insides. They were now both covered in shadows. The night was still and quiet, even the wind failed to blow. Standing there beside her, Náriël was suddenly reminded of just how much taller Legolas was. Something about him was so captivating at the moment. He exuded such gentleness and strength at the same time that it made her insides squirm.

He slowly brought his hands up to her shoulders, his fingers gently brushing against her barely covered arms as they went up. Tenderly gripping her, he quickly pulled her against him and embraced her. Náriël's hands where flat against his chest and as her head lay there, she could hear his steady heartbeat.

In that one moment, Náriël felt more content and safe than she ever had in her entire life.

In that one moment, Legolas wanted nothing more than to never let her go.

She pulled away from him a little and looked up into his face through her lashes. Looking back down at her, his face began to suddenly get closer and closer. Náriël's mind abruptly brought her out of the magic trance she seemed to be in. The gears started working and the memories began to flash: her first kiss, the mystery of Legolas, Aniolad, Legolas leaving her, Aniolad killing her heart.

She gave a big push against his chest and managed break his hold on her. Falling down on his behind, Legolas stared up in wonder the elleth before him. What he saw was definitely not something he was expecting. Tears were streaming down her face, but there was no sorrow in her eyes. Instead, there was only suspicion and hate. Hate for him?

'Did I really almost kiss her?' he thought panicking, 'what the hell was I thinking!'

Though he had to admit that at that moment there seemed to be forces at work that neither one could control, it was still a grave mistake. He would never be able to regain her trust now. Her chest heaved as she tried to breath through the tears. With one more glance at the elf she whirled around and ran back inside. Legolas sat stupidly on the ground, cursing himself for being such a fool.

……………………..

Náriël raced back to her room and swiftly shut the door behind her. Pacing back and forth she muttered to herself, "How could I have been such a moron! For heaven's sake! Letting myself get so caught up in the moment! And what was _he_ thinking? Did he just try to kiss me?"

She stopped dead in her tracks upon realizing this. For some reason, the thought enraged her. How dare he try to kiss her after everything? It was completely brash! She huffed herself. Her tiredness finally seeping in, she crept back into bed and fell into a fitful sleep.

……………………

The next morning was as dismal as the one previous. Crawling out of bed Náriël proceeded to dress herself. Stopping by the window she gazed out at the already busy Rivendell. She was procrastinating going down stairs for breakfast. How she dreaded this moment. She didn't want to have to face both her father and…_him_. But alas, her stomach's protests won her inner battle and she opened her door and walked out, leaving the sanctuary of her room behind her.

Descending the steps she made her way to the breakfast area only to find it completely empty. Surprised at this, she decided to put off breakfast and opted instead to go in search of the rest of the household. She walked through the entire place and yet failed in her quest for hunting down both Elrond and Legolas. Sighing to herself she resigned to having a lonely and solitary breakfast.

…………………..

Stepping outside, Náriël gloomily gazed at the trees surrounding her. The rain drops trickled down, making the leaves dance in their wake, and yet, her heart was shrouded in sorrow. She didn't want things to happen this way; she wanted to be able to love. But past events made her shrink inside of herself and build a platinum wall around her heart. Fear and doubt gripped her insides and held her heart locked far away. Despite all of this, her heart gave an involuntary leap as her eyes settled on the angelic tresses that so starkly contrasted with the deep hazel ones of his companion's.

Legolas and Elrond slowly made their way up the path leading to the Last Homely House. The moment he spotted her, Elrond's face lit up. He smiled warmly as he reached his daughter and gave her a hug that whispered of love and safety. Náriël forced a small smile for the sake of her father. She spared Legolas only a fleeting glance. He bowed formally in response. Sensing the tension, Elrond decided to speak up.

"Náriël, Legolas here was just telling about how much he would like to stay here with us for a few more months…"

Her ears twitched at hearing this and although she pretended to be bored with what he was telling her, she was now keen on hearing the rest.

"However," her spirits dropped at hearing this, "he must first leave for a few weeks and go back to Mirkwood, for he has not seen his father in three centuries."

Náriël on huffed in response as she glared arrogantly at Legolas.

'Figures, it's just like him to do something like this. He's always leaving. It seems to be all he knows how to do,' she thought bitterly.

Legolas looked at her curiously. The expression she wore seemed foreign to her face. She resented him. His heart fell.

"Why are you telling me this?" she asked her father.

He looked at her with surprise and shock written all over his elegant features. Even Legolas was a little taken aback.

'It would seem,' he thought, 'that the old Náriël is back. And here I thought she had finally matured.'

He looked at her with distaste and she only scowled back.

"My point is," she continued, "that it's not a surprise to me. It's nothing unusual for him. I mean, he comes and goes as he pleases. He has no reason to linger here."

Her expression had changed, but to what he was not sure. Legolas felt his heartstrings tug.

"Náriël…"

"Good day!" she exclaimed sternly.

Then, brushing past them, she hastily hurried down to the shops, leaving two very hurt elves behind her.

…………………………….

It had been nearly a month since Legolas left for home. Náriël sat on the steps leading to her house reading. Only, she could not seem to concentrate on the book. Her thoughts kept drifting back to that day….yes, she had been short and snappy with Legolas, but he deserved it.

'Besides, it's much easier to hate him and have him hate me back than to love him and have him be totally indifferent to me…'

She sighed dramatically and leaned back on her elbows. It was a fine day in early April and Náriël delighted in basking under the warm rays of the sun. She contemplated what Legolas had told her before he left….they had gotten into an argument, she couldn't even remember over what…

_Flashback:_

"_Náriël! Despite all that happened to you, that does not give you license to act in such a way! You are being completely immature! I would think that after being gone for so long you would finally grow up! Stop being a child! You are no long a little elfling, so start acting like a dignified and decent elleth, if you are even capable of doing so that is!" Legolas furiously bellowed._

_-End flashback-_

'Hn! Well, fine! I'll prove it to him, to everyone, that I can be a "dignified and decent elleth." I'll make him wish he could take back those words.'

She threw her head back and closed her eyes. The sadness still dwelled deep in her heart, making her both love and hate quiet moments such as these, when her mind would glide back to the past. The silence was soon interrupted by the steady and rhythmic sound of hooves hitting the dirt road. She decided to simply ignore it, but the horse and its rider kept coming closer and closer until she could feel someone staring directly at her. The sound had finally stopped. Lazily opening her eyes she snapped her head up and gazed into deep and piercing blue eyes. The lips curled into a warm smile before parting and issuing something that she did not pick up on.

"Huh?" she shook her head to get out of the daze.

"I said, 'Good morning Náriël.'"

Legolas dismounted from his horse and guided the majestic beast towards the elleth still seated on the stone steps. She turned hear head away from him. Thinking for a moment, she moved only her eyes and suspiciously surveyed him. She gave him a curt nod. Legolas's kind expression twisted into a sour one.

'She cannot still be mad at me? There is no way she would still be holding this grudge!'

He huffed at her and turned towards the stables. Stopping briefly to look behind him, he saw Náriël close her book and make her way back inside. Several moments later, Legolas followed suit. After greeting Elrond he made his way to his previous room, passing Náriël on the way. She did not even acknowledge him.

'Well then, if she wants to be this way, fine. Two can play at this game'

He was finally fed up, and if she was going to be rude to him, then he would be rude right back! Screw the formalities, things were going to get dirty. While unpacking some of his belonging, Elrond stepped into his room and made himself comfortable in one of the large chairs positioned in a corner of the room. Despite his resolution, Legolas could not stop worrying about the rude elleth.

"So….how has Náriël been?" he looked up questioningly.

Elrond shrugged before replying, "She won't talk to me, of course…in fact, she really hasn't spoken all that much. In all honesty, the silence in the house is starting to get to me. I never thought I would miss all the noise and chaos she created."

He nodded in response and the two both lapsed into their own thoughts. Afterwards, Legolas decided to take a stroll through Imladris, staying out well into the evening. He mulled over the position he seemed to find himself in with Náriël. He wasn't sure how he felt about her, but most of all, he had no idea how she felt about him. In all actuality, the poor elf was completely oblivious to any romantic notions that the elleth may have had towards him. Despite her childish behavior, something about her kept drawing him to her.

He growled in frustration as he walked back into his room. He hadn't seen Náriël all day and was slightly curious as to what she had occupied herself with. His stomach protested to the long day without food as Legolas exchanged his tunic for a nicer one for dinner.

…………………

Náriël looked at herself in the mirror. She had indeed grown over the past three centuries that Legolas had been absent. She had completely filled out in all of the right places and her face had definitely matured as well. She stood up and looked at her beautiful wine red dress. The cool silk fabric felt wonderful against her skin. The dress just grazed the floor as she walked around her room. It had a square cut neck and long sleeves that looped around her middle finger. The bodice, unlike the sleeves and skirt of the dress, was made of rich velvet and laced up in the front, creating almost a corset effect and giving a generous sample of her cleavage.

She wore a long silver chain around her neck, so long in fact, that the pendent dipped down into her dress and rested in between her bosom. She swept her hair up and braided half of it back to keep it out of her face. In spite of her efforts, several strands managed to escape, but once examining herself in the mirror again, Náriël decided it was just the effect she was going for.

'Now then, let's put this plan into action.' (A/N: her plan is NOT to seduce Legolas, but rather to tease him and enrage him)

She walked down the stairs and entered the dinning room. Her back was straight, her shoulders were pulled back, and her head was held high. She wore a look of utter arrogance on her face as she stepped inside the room.

Legolas nearly choked on his wine.

* * *

**  
A/N:  
**Ok, I know that there wasn't too much Legolas/ Náriël action in this chapter, but I thought it was all needed to set up events later to come. Anyhoo, review and let me know what you think!

– to all of you who reviewed ch.15, THANK YOU SO MUCH! I really appreciate the reviews, they give me great motivation, and I'm very sorry that I wasn't able to respond to them.

**RedOthello**: Thank you sooooo much! That was such a great review! I LOVE reading reviews like that!

**Maren L P**: thank you!

**Enchanted Picture**: yup yup, I sure do…I mean, otherwise I don't think it would be a very good story!

**Austin B**: I am so glad to get you back! I remember I loved reading your reviews, so welcome back! And thanks for the support!

**Quessealqua**: hahaha, smarty pants!

**Ctimene**: thanks a lot, and this one is like 2 pages longer I think….haha

**Michelle Moonshine**: thank you sooo much for your support! That was an awesome review and I would have sent you the petition, only for some reason, everyone who left their email for me in the review…it didn't show up! Anyway, if you still want me to send you the petition, then just email me ok?

**Brownie24**: yes, poor Náriël! And as far as her getting raped….well….there's more to come about that…. XP

**Madrone**: hmm…interesting review….let me give you a hint…you're sorta on to something…if that doesn't seem to make sense now, just wait and you'll see what im talking about…it'll make sense later

**Elizabeth**: it wasn't THAT short…but yeah, this one is longer…and this is an AU I guess….b/c there really isn't a "lord of the rings" I mean, Arwen and her bros don't even exist in my story…get it?

**Glil**: here's your update! Hope you like it!

**April**: thank you!

**N3bul4str1k3**: sheesh your sn was annoying to write! LOL! and yes, I am happy with another review :-)

**TheLoneShe**-Elf: I'm so sorry, but your email addy didn't show up! If you email me, I'll send you the petition thing.

**Jen**: well, you'll just have to keep reading and reviewing to find out hehe

**Ditzy28**: (grins) I loved your review! I love the word 'brilliant' HAHA and I don't mean it in the conceited way as in I'm brilliant or my story is, but just the word…you know what I mean? Gosh im so weird! O.O anyway, I agree w/ u about the author's notes things, it's annoying as hell! But as you said, that's in the past…and once more, as w/ other ppl, your email addy didn't show up in the review, so just email me and I'll send you the petition!

**Phicaddictdpiratephantomprsny**: omg. And I thought that "N3bul4str1k3" was annoying to write! Sheesh…how do you sign into w/ that! O.o (lol I mean no offense, im just teasing) and yeah….id be happy to take leggy as well ;-)

**Rougelovelegolas**: well here it is! Hope you liked it!


	18. Heady Stuff

Perplexities of Growing Up

**Disclaimer**: I do not own any of the places or characters used here except for Náriël-I did invent her and if she resembles anyone else's character in anyway, I'm sorry- not done on purpose. Everything else belongs to Tolkien.

**A/N:  
**Meep! I'm sorry it's taken me forever to put this chapter up! I've had so much stuff to do! College applications and such. Anyway, I know that a lot of you were a bit disappointed with the last chapter, but this one should be better!

**Ch.18: Heady Stuff**

* * *

--- She walked down the stairs and entered the dinning room. Her back was straight, her shoulders were pulled back, and her head was held high. She wore a look of utter arrogance on her face as she stepped inside the room. 

Legolas nearly choked on his wine. ----

_POV: Author_

There was a moment's silence as the two elves stared at the young elleth that just entered the room. Legolas's eyes widened in surprise and he coughed from the large intake of wine, attempting to make it as inconspicuous as possible.

'_This_ is Náriël! Since when did she….well…she certainly is well endowed.'

Legolas shifted uncomfortably at the thought before being snapped back into reality by the scraping of a chair on the wooden floor. Elrond stood up and embraced his daughter before pulling out a chair for her across from Legolas.

"You look beautiful Náriël."

"Thank you Ada."

_POV: Legolas_

I felt like a fool.

'They must think me an uncultured moron! I can't believe I forgot to stand, yet alone pull out the chair for her! How ill mannered can I be?'

"Good evening Náriël, you're looking nice tonight."

She simply smiled and gave me a nod in response, but the look in her eye seemed almost…seductive?

'No, I'm looking too much into this. Why on Middle Earth would she attempt to seduce me? Especially after that night…'

I stole a quick glance at her, and perhaps, I may have lingered on her ample bosom a bit too long…I could feel my face heat up slightly and I thanked the Valor that I do not turn too red when blushing.

As we sat there eating in silence my thoughts began to stray. They went floating back to the night on the balcony. What would have happened if I had kissed her, I wondered? Unfortunately, I allowed my imagination to wander and run free and wild…

_- Legolas's Daydream POV: Author -_

_(A/N: The perfect song I'm imagining for this seen is 'In My Dreams' by Robert Miles – it's sooo pretty!) Legolas gently ran his hand up Náriël's smooth cheek and cupped her face, bringing his lips down to hers. The kiss was soft and innocent. Her hands slid up his chest and tangled in his golden tresses. He deepened the kiss. Wrapping one arm around her waste and bringing the other up to grasp the back of her head, he slid his tongue along her bottom lip. She slowly allowed him entrance and their tongues began a sultry battle for dominance. The need to feel the other was building up in both of them and he pulled her closer to his body. _

_She could feel his desperate want for her against her thigh; a small moan escaped her full lips. Legolas began to slowly walk her backwards until her back finally hit the balcony wall. Both of his hands slid down to her hips and rested there as his body pushed her against the smooth stones behind her. Náriël linked her arms around his neck as they continued to kiss fervently. _

_They couldn't get enough of each other…_

_Suddenly, Lord Elrond walked in. _

"_Legolas!"_

_- End Daydream POV: Legolas -_

I jerked my head up and looked around bewildered. Both Náriël and Elrond were staring at me curiously. I suddenly felt very uncomfortable.

"Didn't you hear me call you? Are you alright Legolas? You seemed a bit out of it…" he trailed off.

'Oh Valor, they couldn't know what I was just thinking could they? That look she's giving me…it's like she knows. I do wish she'd stop looking at me like that…from the corners of her eyes with such suspicion…at least dinner is over…or not.'

I was suddenly well aware that my little daydream had quite an effect on me. I was very thankful that the table cloth was nice and long, but I had to wonder if I did anything odd while I was off in my own world. They were getting up to leave, but what was I to do? There was no way I could just stand and leave now! Even with my long tunic…it was still so obvious!

'What a predicament I have gotten myself into! Ok, just relax…breathe…'

"Legolas? Are you planning on just sitting there the rest of the evening?"

Her voice sounded so smooth and mature I hardly recognized it as Náriël's. My eyes widened slightly and my insides seemed to squirm.

'What's wrong with me! I'm no awkward young elfling anymore! But then why does she make me feel this way? The way she looks at me…the way she makes me feel…the only other elleth that has ever done things like this to me was Solith…'

She quirked an eyebrow at me and I couldn't help but give her a cocky smile back.

"Since when do you care what I do in my free time?" I inquired.

She glared at me before whipping around and gliding out of the room, leaving my question dangling in the air. I breathed out a sigh of relief for I was finally alone in the room. I cautiously stood up and carefully made my way back up to my room. Locking the door behind me I fell back on my bed and exhaled. The dream kept coming back to me, more vivid each time, which certainly did not help my situation. Finally, scowling in frustration, I realized that there was only one way to solve this issue…

Drawing all the curtains, the room was tinted in a soft crimson glow from the setting sun streaming through the fabric. Relaxing back against the pillows, I once again let my mind travel to another place and time…

_- Legolas's Daydream POV: Author -_

_He laid her down gently on his soft bed, his naked body shivering from the cool air. She smiled softly up at him before pulling him down to meet her anxious lips. Their bodies now felt hot against each other and they pushed away the superfluous comforter until it fell to the floor. Their hands where everywhere; their hot tongues were dancing; their bodies were tingling in anticipation…he kissed the side of her neck as he entered her, sighing in the delight of being enveloped by her. They moved together slowly, passionately. Their panting grew heavy, their whispers of love and affection filled the room. He grabbed her hands and entwining fingers, brought her them above her head. Kissing her feverishly his body shuddered in delight. _

_- End Daydream POV: Author -_

Legolas lay there panting, his eyes were still closed. He cringed at the thought of what had just transpired in the room. It wasn't right for him to think such things about her. She deserved more respect than that; besides, since when had he started thinking of Náriël in any such way?

Sighing deeply he swung his legs over the bed and quietly slid off. Grabbing a towel and some clothes to sleep in he made his way to the secluded hot springs at the far end of the Last Homely House. The way it had been built, it was far away from prying eyes, so Legolas stripped in confidence and swiftly stepped into the warm water.

"Aaaahhh…" he let out a low hiss of pleasure as the warm water enveloped his tense body.

His muscles began to relax immediately and he leaned back in tranquility. Closing his eyes he allowed his mind to go blank – no more distressing thoughts nagged at him – his mind was a quiet void. Slowly opening his eyes he looked up through the glass ceiling to spy the last dying embers of the sun paint the sky in a bright red as the stars began to twinkle and night opened its sleepy eyes.

……………

Náriël happily glided down the hall, towel and night dress in hand. A smug smile was painted on her face as she thought about dinner.

'Yes, I've finally managed to break his composure! The look on his face of utter bewilderment and surprise was absolutely priceless!'

She grinned to herself, snickering slightly. Her thoughts then began to shift to the nice dip in the hot springs she was so looking forward to. Unlike in many places, there was no discrimination between the males and females, due to the fact that really the hot springs were for Náriël alone. Her father seldom used them and when he did he made sure to let Náriël know so that she would not accidentally intrude. Additionally, the helpers in the house were not allowed to use them at all, hence their title of being _private_ hot springs.

She quietly walked up to the wooden door and gently pulled it open. As she was about to step inside she noticed the silhouette of none other than Legolas. Stepping a bit farther in, she could now clearly see him from the chest up. His back was mostly to her, but she still had a nice view of his well toned body. She gaped at the way the water trickled down his strong arms and the way his muscles seemed to ripple with the slightest movement. His elbows were propped up against the ground and his head was knelt back, splaying his golden mane around him.

Stepping back out, she closed the door behind her and stood there for a moment, before turning her back to it and sliding to the floor. Her eyes were wide; her pulse was racing; her breathing was slightly labored. She could not believe that after everything, he could still have such an effect on her. He was gorgeous.

What were these feelings she was having? Feelings of…desire? For Legolas? She blushed a pretty pink at the thought. Hearing something behind the door she quickly jumped up and raced back to her room in fear of him finding her sitting there all flustered.

……………….

Náriël spent the following day doing her best to avoid Legolas. Under no circumstances did she want to be reminded of her thoughts and feeling from last night. In fact, she was so keen on keeping him at a distance that she skipped dinner all together.

Sitting up in her bedroom, she gazed out into the starry night above her. Her stomach growled in protest to the self-imposed fast from dinner. Sighing she glanced back at her door. It was late in the night and she figured most of the household, if not all, was probably in bed already. Heaving herself off of the window seat she walked over to the door and opened it gently. Looking around, all seemed to be deserted.

Lifting her flowing white nightgown slightly so as not to trip on it, she quietly stole out of the room. Tip-toeing past the large viewing balcony, she headed down towards the kitchen. She was almost to the fridge when she felt another presence in the room. Whirling around, she saw a figure completely shrouded in the darkness of night's shadows.

"Náriël?" There was a pause before, "You skipped dinner…"

"Yes, well, aren't you observant, Legolas? What are you doing up at this time of night?"

She meant for her voice to sound strong and defiant, but a twinge of uneasiness came anyway. He snorted in response to her sarcasm. She could see his eyes through the darkness and they were intense. The blue-gray orbs seemed to almost glow in the dim light of the kitchen as he gave her his simple answer, "Stargazing."

"You know Legolas," she was no longer trying to hide her growing anxiety, "you're a bit frightening like this, in the dark…"

She saw a small smirk grace his lips and his eyes narrow slightly to give him a look of complete smugness and mischievousness. With his head slightly cocked to one side and his face still bearing the same deviousness, he took a deliberated step towards her. She took one back. His smirk broadened and he took another forward. Náriël quickly found herself flat against the wall. He was so close to her, she could smell his heady scent. The cocky grin and gleam in his eyes made him irresistibly sexy. He was now half bathed in the moonlight streaming through the window. He leaned forward and placed his hands on both sides of her head and against the wall. His eyes bore into hers. He was so close; she shuddered.

Half of his face was illuminated and half hidden in inky darkness. His face was suddenly so close to hers. Náriël could feel her breath and pulse quicken. Legolas slowly and sensually brought his lips mere millimeters away from her ear. His breath was tickling her and another sweet shudder ran down her spine.

"Are you…afraid of me…Náriël?"

His voice was low and husky.

Náriël closed her eyes and brought her hands up to lay flat against his chest. She pushed slightly, but instead of moving away, he only moved closer.

"I…no." She snapped her eyes open but the glare was lost on Legolas, for he was still nuzzling her ear.

"You can just be…intimidating…" she cursed herself silently for being so meek and showing her weakness to him.

She felt him smile against her cheek as he moved his head away, his face gently brushing against hers.

"I assure you I meant to do no such thing."

His voice was still deep and intimate, but softer this time; his smile was no longer taunting but gentle and his eyes now exuded warmth instead of mischief. Pushing away from her, he straightened himself out. Bowing slightly, he took her hand in his and kissed it softly before murmuring a sweet 'goodnight, my lady.'

He stood back up and spared her one last glance before gracefully turning around and walking out of the kitchen with such an air that radiated pride and confidence, his cocky smirk plastered on his face once more.

Náriël was left alone in the dark kitchen. She still stood where Legolas had left her. Her eyes were wide and her breathing was only now slowing down; her heart still beat wildly in her chest. She stared after Legolas for a long while before her mind began to work. Somewhere along the lines, her plan had gone askew; instead of her teasing Legolas, somehow, _he _had managed to charm _her_…

* * *

**  
A/N:  
**Thank you all so much! With my last chapter I reached over 300 reviews! (does happy dance) that's SO awesome! I love you guys! Wow, I just saw that I had over 1,000 people check out my first chapter and over 300 read the last one! Pretty cool! 

Alrighty well I hope you all remember to review! And just as a little bit of inspiration, quote for you wonderful reviewers:

"_The number one motivator of people is feedback on results." –Felix 'doc' Blanchard, jr._

**Ctimene**: here ya go! And I think this one's a bit better than the last one…I hope (crosses fingers)

**Brownie24**: muwahahahaha! He has turned the tables on her once again! Behold the cunning of Legolas!

**Founder2**: why do you say that? O.o (they're both all lost and confused…or at least…_were_)

**Nebulastrike**: yeah, I figured that's what your sn said, but it's kinda annoying to write w/ the numbers lol…creative though…anyway, I hope you liked this chapter better, I tried to make it a bit juicy to make up for the last one…if not, tough! Haha.

**Madrone**: yeah, I know what you mean!

**Flying Pheonix**: (grins) hope you liked the chapter!

**Lady Keshanna of the Night**: yay! Thank you!

**Roughlovelegolas**: hahah! You know what? When I was writing this chapter…I had actually completely forgotten what you wrote in your review (no offense) and now that I'm rereading it to respond, lol, I think that's pretty funny considering I sorta did what you asked eh? I guess in a way I'm kinda teasing the readers too heheh

**Phicaddictdpiratephantomprsnya**: ok, I've decided to just copy and past your name into word for responses XP thanks for the review though! lol

**Maren L P**: well here it is! Hope you like it!

**White Wave**: woo hoo! Thanks SO much! I always love getting new readers! Keep the great reviews coming :-)

**Anonymous, Not Really**: cute, real cute…the name I mean haha

**Quessealqua**: LOL! I know exactly what you're going through! I feel the same way! Sometimes you just need to be able to lose yourself in a great fanfic! And I'm honored that you'd pick mine…so go ahead and nag away! Lol I love getting inspirational reviews..thanks!

**Dark Fay**: thank you!

**Elven at Heart**: well….things sure are heating up now eh? (winks)

**ChirikoFan**: wow! Thanks SO much for that awesome review! It's great when I get to read reviews like yours!

**Snowdropsinwinter**: thank you, thank you…and I'll see if I have time to check out your fanfic (i'm always so busy damn it! lol)

**Morwen12**: well, I know this may not have been fast, but I hope you deem it excellent! hehe


	19. Desire

Perplexities of Growing Up

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the places or characters used here except for Náriël-I did invent her and if she resembles anyone else's character in anyway, I'm sorry- not done on purpose. Everything else belongs to Tolkien.

**A/N:  
**Ok, I really don't have an excuse…I guess I'm just kinda getting a bit tired of this story, but don't worry, I'll still finish and I'll try to give you all a great ending! I just need to move the story along a bit. Also, I know this is kinda a short chapter, but I thought that it should stand on its own, I didn't want to ruin the effect by adding other stuff… so here ya go, ch. 19!

**Ch.19: Desire**

* * *

----Náriël was left alone in the dark kitchen. She still stood where Legolas had left her. Her eyes were wide and her breathing was only now slowing down; her heart still beat wildly in her chest. She stared after Legolas for a long while before her mind began to work. Somewhere along the lines, her plan had gone askew; instead of her teasing Legolas, somehow, _he _had managed to charm _her_…----

Something stirred inside her. She couldn't explain it, but for some reason, she was willing drop all walls and all guards – she wanted him; she could no longer deny her urge to feel him, to touch him, to taste him….oh yes, Náriël felt the desire burn in her like fire. Her hunger now forgotten, she moved toward the stairs as if in a trance. Her heart was pounding in her chest and her cheeks were flushed and warm. A shiver ran down her spine as she quickened her step.

She was no longer afraid.

She walked with such determination and grace that it was as if she were floating down the corridor towards Legolas's room. As Náriël approached she noticed his door slightly ajar. Stepping into the doorway she pushed it open all the way and paused. There stood Legolas, completely bathed in the ethereal glow of the full moon. His chest was bare, his hair free of its braids, and he wore solely his black leggings. But she was determined. She walked further into the room before closing the door gently behind her.

Without saying another word, she glided over to him. He could see her firm breasts rise and fall with her ragged breathing. As a gentle breeze spun through the windows and curled around her nightgown, he was well aware of the fact that it was not nearly as modest as it first appeared. She stood before him and gazed into his endless orbs. Silently and as if in slow motion, he closed the distance between them. His own breath was now quite uneven and he could feel a tightening in his loins as he gazed at the beautiful maiden before him.

He brought his hand up to her cheek and sensually ran a finger down the side of her face before gently grabbing her chin. Náriël could hardly breathe now. She laid her hands flat on his toned stomach before leisurely moving them up until her arms were around his neck. In a flash, he had taken her lips. The kiss started out slow and innocent. He kissed her and nipped at her lips before moving down her jaw line and to that oh-so-sensitive spot behind the ear. Then lower still, to her neck. She entwined her fingers through his silk-like hair and let out a soft whimper. He slid his arm around her waist and pulled her even closer. She was now well aware of the effect she had on him, and something about that made her even bolder. It elated her to know that she could do something like that to a warrior such as Legolas.

Her hands roved over his skin as he brought his lips back to hers. He was more demanding now. He wanted her, and she knew it. His tongue slid across her bottom lip and she slowly parted them for him. Shyly, Náriël brought her own tongue out to battle with his for dominance. He was becoming more aggressive now, and she liked it. She arched into him, causing a deep growl to emit from his throat.

Legolas whirled her around so that her back was now to the large bed. He kissed her even deeper as they stumbled towards the bed. Lifting her up, Náriël became conscious of how strong Legolas really was. It was nothing for him to lay her on the bed. Feeling his muscles ripple and the sheer raw strength which they held only made her body burn for him even more. He moved toward her on the bed like a panther. The look in his eyes was predatory and made her heart pound faster than it ever had. He excited her.

His deft fingers moved up her nightgown as his body hovered over hers. He teased her with butterfly kisses as he allowed more of his weight to rest atop her. Bringing his head down, he kissed her once more; a deep and passionate kiss. How she had dreamed to be kissed like this. Yes, this is what she had wanted, what she had been waiting for. She let another moan escape as she breathed out his name.

"Legolasss……ahh."

She arched into him and he couldn't hold back his reflex to push back. She now felt his true need for her. He moved the neckline of her nightgown down to expose one breast before cupping it. He massaged it as his other hand rubbed against her hip – so close to that intimate spot that she yearned for him to touch.

"Oh, Legolas…please…"

She wanted more; she had to have more.

He brought his head down and flicked his tongue over her nipple, eliciting a breathy moan. Then, taking it into his mouth, he sucked gently. She ran her hands through his hair as the blood pounded in her ears. Before long, he moved over to the other breast. She ran her nails up his back as she hooked a leg around his thigh, bringing him that much closer.

Two thin pieces of fabric.

That was all that separated them as they slowly began to grind against each other. His mouth moved back up and trailed searing hot kisses up her collarbone and back to her mouth. Náriël trailed her fingers to his hips. As her left arm wrapped around his right and back up to his shoulder, she allowed her right hand to drift over to the front. She carefully stroked him, unsure of whether she was doing the right thing or not, before moving both her hands to his waist band.

Legolas let out a sharp hiss of pleasure as he grabbed her wrists. With an apologetic look in his eyes, he moved her arms to rest at her sides before laying a gentle kiss upon her lips.

"Náriël," he breathed, "we can't….it is too soon."

She looked up at him incredulously. Was she really hearing right?

"But…did I do something wrong? I thought you wanted this? Legolas….I want you…so bad…"

She blushed deeply at the intimate confession that she had just made. It was almost irresistible, but Legolas knew he must not give in.

"I know, and I do. But you must understand that I am aware of the fact that you are quite virginal, whereas I am not. You would regret it in the morning. You are not ready."

She felt like she was going to cry. Whether from frustration or from the fact that she knew that he was right, she was not sure.

"Legolas, but you cannot just leave me like this…please…I can't…"

She gazed at him through her lashes. Legolas looked down on her and gave her that mischievous smirk that set her insides on fire. He rolled over onto his side and propped himself up on his elbow. Placing his right hand on the other side of her, he bent over and kissed Náriël. Her stomach was in knots and she squirmed uncomfortably from the wetness between her legs.

Legolas rubbed his hand over her left breast before casually sliding it down to rest on her hip as his tongue continued to plunder her mouth. Breaking away, their faces were mere inches apart. He stared into her eyes as his hand found its way underneath her nightgown and slid up her smooth thigh. His expert fingers tangled in her intimate curls and teased her as she writhed beneath his touch. Her eyes were half lidded and her head was swimming. No one had ever made her feel like this before. It was all so new to her; never before had she allowed anyone to touch her as Legolas was right now.

She gasped as a jolt of pleasure ran through her body. She could no longer think – the ecstasy was taking over. Legolas lazily looked at her, then dipped down and began to suck on and lick the sensitive spot in the juncture of her neck. Her senses were in overload as he stroked her. She threaded her right hand through his hair and fisted the other in the bed sheets. This was too much, she couldn't take it, yet she wanted more….she could feel herself coming closer, but to what?

She could feel something building inside of her. Suddenly, he stopped. Her eyes widened and she opened her mouth to protest. Legolas took advantage of the opportunity and quickly claimed her lips and tongue once more, swallowing her surprised gasp as his fingers delved gently into her depths. The pressure inside of her resumed and she clutched the sheets in desperation. Her fingers pulled on his hair and her mouth opened in a silent scream as he nuzzled her neck. She was so close…

"Let go," he whispered, "Come for me, my darling. Give in to the feeling, let yourself fall…."

His breath was warm on her neck and tickled her sensitive hairs. That was all it took. She arched forward as Legolas continued to kiss her. Náriël's mind swirled in sweet bliss, the ecstasy cascading over her body. Legolas held her tightly, his heart pounding with familiar feelings he was finally ready to admit. He laid there with her still trembling in his arms, wishing that he would never have to let go.

……….

We drift deeper into the sound, feeling strong  
So bring it on, so bring it on  
Bring it on, so bring it on

Embrace me, surround me, as the rush comes  
Oh embrace me, surround me, as the rush comes  
As the rush comes  
As the rush comes…

("As The Rush Comes" by Motorcycle)

…………

* * *

**  
A/N:**  
(BLUSH, BLUSH, BLUSH) I can't believe I just wrote that! O.O pleeeeaaassee tell me what you think! Oh, and the lyrics at the end there, I love that song and I actually listened to that song on repeat as I wrote this chapter, so if you have it, listen while reading. I think it goes really well…but not the original, the Gabriel And Dresden Chillout Mix. It's really good!

Anyhoo, for those of you who like Haldir stories, go read **Elanor's Revenge **by Juliediane, it's awesome and I really recommend it! completely feeding my Haldir high right now lol :-)


	20. Ecstasy

Perplexities of Growing Up

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the places or characters used here except for Náriël-I did invent her and if she resembles anyone else's character in anyway, I'm sorry- not done on purpose. Everything else belongs to Tolkien.

**A/N:  
**Hey everyone! I'm back…like 6 years later ^_^;; I'm so so sorry! I just needed a break from this story, but I DID promise to finish it! Besides, I hope by now my writing has improved from where it was when I first started, haha. I also hope that some of you guys will actually come back to this story…I haven't lost all of you, have I? Please don't hate me for keeping you hanging for so long. Please please please **review** and let me know what you think...this is the last and final chapter you all have been waiting for so I'd love feedback!

So here we go…again…

**Ch. 20: Ecstasy**

* * *

Náriël awoke the next morning with her stomach in knots. She could not quite believe what had happened the night before. She remembered lying there, exhausted, while Legolas held her tightly to him. That was the most confusing, but yet brilliant experience that she had ever had. As she was drifting off to sleep she vaguely recalled Legolas carrying her back to her own bed.

'Maybe it was all a dream? Just a wonderful…crazy dream?'

She looked down at her nightgown and could see an outline from where the wetness had dried. Her stomach squirmed. As she sat there in bed contemplating what had happened, Náriël had to admit that there was no denying her ever growing attraction for the elfin prince. After all that had happened between them, maybe she could finally forgive him and give in to her feelings.

'But is that what I want? Do I really want to be with Legolas?'

The uncertainty knotted her stomach even more; she needed time to think. Throwing back the covers she hopped out of bed and got dressed. Making her way down to the kitchen, she was pleased to find that everyone had already eaten and was out of the house. She settled down at the table and slowly ate her breakfast as she contemplated what she would do today.

Whether it was on accident or on purpose, Náriël couldn't tell, but somehow or other she ended up avoiding Legolas all day. The evening was already turning to night and the first stars could be seen peeking out from behind the ominous looking clouds above. Náriël leaned back on the bench she was occupying and looked up into the velvety sky.

"Náriël?"

She whirled around and found Legolas standing only a few feet away. His expression as he gazed upon her was questioning and slightly hurt. He hesitantly approached her.

"Do you mind if I sit with you?" he questioned.

_POV: Náriël_

"Umm, no. I suppose not."

I was so nervous that I'm sure my voice was shaking as I answered him. I couldn't figure out what had come over me. Butterflies were flopping around in my stomach and I couldn't tell which I wanted to do more: run into his arms or run away from him. I did neither. Instead, I sat there with my hands neatly folded in my lap and fiddled with the fabric of my dress, waiting for him to say something.

"Listen," he began, "I really like you and care for you Náriël. And because of that, I feel that last night was a mistake…"

My stomach and heart clenched at the same time.

"Well, maybe 'mistake' isn't exactly the right word. I think it was too soon…for you. I can tell that you're confused and hesitant. I don't want that. I understand that last time, you felt ready to be with me – in a relationship. Unfortunately, I had some demons of my own to battle with at the time. I know I hurt you. I never wanted to and I most certainly don't want to now."

He turned around and stared at me, pinning me in place with his piercing blue eyes.

"I just want you to know, that I'm all in this time. But I want you to take your time and figure out what it is that you want. There is no pressure and no rush, but I just wanted you to know where I stand."

With that said, he cupped my face in his hands and placed a soft kiss on my forehead before standing back up and walking into the house.

I sat there alone as my thoughts and emotions whirled inside me like a tornado. I don't know how long I sat there, but my heart began to speed up as it occurred to me that the one and only thing I was certain of was that I did not want to lose him again. After spending so many centuries without him I could not bear the thought of him leaving me again. In that instant, as the raindrops began to slowly come down, I knew what I wanted. Legolas.

_POV: Author_

She jumped up and ran as fast as her feet could carry her back to the house. As she neared she could make out his shape near the brook that ran beside her home. She slowed to catch her breath. The rain was steadily coming down now and she shivered from the droplets running down her spine. Legolas turned to her with a look of surprise etched upon his face.

"Legolas," she breathed. "I'm ready. I want this. I want you! I might not be ready for everything all at once, but I know that I don't want to lose you. I don't want you to leave me again…"

She trailed off feebly, not knowing what else to say. Legolas gazed upon her beautiful face, contorted with worry, hope and anticipation all at once. He stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her waist as a smile spread across his ethereal face. He dipped his head and claimed her in a passionate kiss.

"We can take things as slow as you want," he whispered against her lips.

…..

It was a beautiful sunny day in early September as Legolas lounged in the boughs of a large Mallorn tree. He smiled to himself as he reflected on the past several months. It had been a long time since he had felt this happy and content. His fingers absentmindedly drifted towards his pocket where a thin band of entwined mithril branches lay. After giving it much thought, he knew that Náriël was the elleth he wanted to spend eternity with. He wanted to bind with her.

…...

At the same exact moment, Náriël sat on the windowsill of her bedroom and gazed out at the city before her. Her thoughts consumed by the elf that had claimed her heart. She knew that the time had come. She wanted to be with Legolas in every sense of the word. Her body and soul yearned for him like never before and she knew that it was more than lust. She wanted to experience the depths of love and roll through the waves of ecstasy and passion with him.

…...

Legolas stepped out onto the large semi-circular balcony to find Náriël watching the starts come out as the evening grew old and gave way to night. She looked over at him and smiled softly.

"Come. Take a walk with me." He stretched his hand out to her.

The two elves made their way through the quiet city. The night was beautiful and calm as the stars and moon shone down on the couple. Legolas slowly led Náriël down to the meadow where the ball was held in his honor so many centuries ago. He held her hand as he took her past the lunar flowers that were beginning to unfurl. Then down a path she would not have known was there had she simply been passing by. Finally they emerged at the banks of the giant waterfall, the soft green grass coming to a stop abruptly at the water's edge.

Náriël looked around in awe at the beauty. The water tumbled down in torrents of blue, orange and red as it reflected the ethereal glow of the lunar flowers. They were scattered all along the waterfall and its stream. A few lone flowers even clung to the earthen wall behind the falls.

After many long silent minutes Legolas finally spoke, "Náriël…"

She tipped her head back to look up at him as he stepped closer and brushed a few stray strands of hair behind her ear. His fingers slowly trailed down her soft cheek as he gazed into her eyes.

"I know we had a pretty rough start, but words cannot fully express how much I have grown to love you. By some miracle, the Valar brought me to you, and you in turn gave me the reason I needed to heal my heart. You bring me such happiness and give me a reason to exist. Náriël, I love you with all of my heart and I would be honored if you would agree to spend eternity with me."

He dropped to one knee and grasped her hand.

"Náriël, will you bind with me?"

_POV: Náriël_

I gasped aloud as Legolas knelt down before me. I could not believe what was happening. My stomach flipped and my heart fluttered as he asked me to bind with him. Tears of joy welled up in my eyes as I fell to my knees and threw my arms around his neck.

"Yes!" I exclaimed and swiftly crushed my lips to his.

He pulled me closer and laughed into my mouth as he fervently kissed me back. Suddenly, the kiss slowed and became more passionate. Legolas entwined his finger in my hair sending shivers down my spine. I could feel the familiar slow burning beginning to build down below.

My stomach filled with butterflies as my hands began to slowly untie his tunic. My ungraceful fingers fumbled until I could finally slip the offending fabric off of his shoulders. I felt his hands gently grasp my upper arms and push me back. He stared into my eyes.

"Are you sure?"

His voice was low and husky, dripping with the desire burning in him.

"Yes," I breathed.

_POV: Author_

With that one word, Legolas was fueled into action. His deft fingers made short work of the ties on the back of Náriël's dress. He kissed his way down her neck, leaving small love bites along the way. Náriël moaned in delight. Standing them both upright, Legolas slipped the dress down her shoulders and let it fall to the ground.

Their shoes long forgotten she now stood in front of him completely bare except for the sheer white panties she wore. Legolas let his eyes roam down her body and take in her form. Meeting her hesitant gaze, he smiled.

"Beautiful."

Not breaking eye contact, he loosened his ties and then looped his fingers in the band of his leggings. He slowly pushed them down over his hips and over his now stiff erection. Náriël couldn't help but stare. Her anxious butterflies were in full swing and her breath quickened both from nervousness and desire. Taking only a few steps, Legolas stood in front of her. He gently ran the back of his hand up her naked arm and snaked it behind her neck. Pulling her towards him, he kissed Náriël fully on the mouth.

He rested his left hand on her hip, his thumb running comforting circles over her skin. She began to relax as his hand traced the curves of her body. Náriël moaned and arched into him. Legolas groaned in response as his manhood throbbed painfully in response to her actions. He could feel his self-control slowly crumbling.

Carefully, he helped Náriël to the ground. He laid his hands flat on both ankles and sensuously brought them up her body until both of her breasts were in his hands. He massaged them equally, until without warning he let go of her right breast and latched on with his lips instead.

"Uhh, Legolas!"

She closed her eyes and entangled her fingers in his hair. She was so wet she didn't know how much more of this teasing she could take. But wanting to make Legolas feel as good as he was making her feel, she tentatively laid a hand upon his chest and with feather light touches ran it down his taught stomach. She hesitated only a moment before grasping him in her hand, his tip already slick.

"N- Náriël!" he gasped out.

She began to pump her hand up and down his shaft. This only spurred Legolas on and fueled his more primal side. He attacked her breasts with more kisses and soft nips. Náriël purred at the sensations. Legolas swiftly moved down her body and began nipping her inner thigh. The anticipation was turning Náriël on even more now and she pulled on his long hair, urging him higher. His skilled tongue finally made contact with her most intimate spot and she cried out, arching her back.

"Please Legolas, please! I need you. I want you so bad!"

A small growl escaped his lips upon hearing her breathy cries. He made his way back up her body and kissed her on the mouth. Náriël wrapped her slender legs around his waist. She could feel him gently pushing against her entrance. Legolas eased in, shallowly pushing in and out a few times before finally burying himself deeply within her.

Náriël cried out in pain at the intrusion and he stilled, allowing her to adjust. He sweetly kissed her cheeks, eyes and mouth as she softly whimpered underneath him. She felt herself begin to relax and pushed her hips against him experimentally.

"Uhhhhhh," he groaned in response.

Her movements encouraged him to proceed. Legolas began to slowly thrust into her, using every ounce of his self-restraint. At this moment he wanted nothing more than to just lose himself in the sensations and the feeling of Náriël, but he knew he couldn't allow himself that. Not just yet. It wasn't long before she began to moan and writhe beneath him. Náriël couldn't believe the amazing things he could do to her body.

"Legolas, I need more!"

He nuzzled the crook of her neck and began to plunge into her more vigorously. He was beginning to lose himself in the primal act. Náriël dug her nails into his back and brought them down, leaving red welts that he did not notice. She could feel a most blissful sensation building within her that quickly exploded into pure ecstasy with only a few more thrusts from Legolas.

She screamed out his name as she clung to him in the throws of passion. It did not take Legolas much longer after that. He quickly followed her and shuddered as the waves of bliss rolled over his body. The two lay there for several long moments, bodies and limbs entwined. They panted, trying to catch their breaths and still their wildly beating hearts.

"I love you. I love you so much Náriël."

"I love you too Legolas."

…...

_POV: Náriël_

I twirled the mithril wedding band around my ring finger as I leaned back into my new husband's embrace. The early morning sun warmed my face as I thought back on the binding ceremony. It was a beautiful evening but I was glad the stress of the day was now over. I stared at the ring and reflected on all that had transpired since I first met Legolas. I laughed inside as I clearly remembered that first meeting. What a foolish young elleth I had been. Legolas nuzzled the back of my ear and placed a soft kiss on my head as I turned slightly towards him and smiled.

End.

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**A/N**: I would just like to say thank you. Thank you to all of my awesome reviewers, especially those of you who have stuck by me despite my long hiatus on this story. I hope you all enjoyed it! I definitely have more plot bunnies jumping around my head (both LOTR and Harry Potter), but we'll see if I can find the time to actually put them on paper, so to speak. Until then… :)


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